tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152303862024-03-07T14:01:35.197-08:00Knit and the CityWendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.comBlogger240125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-20347347752121893312009-02-17T11:24:00.000-08:002009-02-17T11:25:42.422-08:00I've Moved!I'm back!!! But I've moved. <br /><br />Please please come see me at my new blog <a href="http://www.lemontines.com">Lemontines</a>!!!<br /><br />Happy Knitting!Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-5082402244276275222008-09-03T07:48:00.000-07:002008-09-03T10:18:57.015-07:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jNF6SP5y_7I-T8LkeF01K1h3ywKwB8Bua6w0NYzf3XtYwxlaVpE8YuvCsGRGksRlhlreq3OE99NQTGLrD9auJDFrD4U5xEBZObdMG6w8Hmnj5CHbYwblE1_cx7MivRoHD924WQ/s1600-h/forecast+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241807395299394882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jNF6SP5y_7I-T8LkeF01K1h3ywKwB8Bua6w0NYzf3XtYwxlaVpE8YuvCsGRGksRlhlreq3OE99NQTGLrD9auJDFrD4U5xEBZObdMG6w8Hmnj5CHbYwblE1_cx7MivRoHD924WQ/s320/forecast+006.jpg" border="0" /></a> It's 90 degrees - time to cast on a heavy wool sweater! Yeah! <br /><br />I finished up the Manos test knitting (sort of, maybe - we'll see), and after knitting a gigantic sweater for someone else, I decided I needed a comfy sweater for me. So, I reached for the book I just bought, right - Custom Knits by Wendy Bernard? Or, perhaps I used the Green Mountain Spinnery yarn that I bought at MSW for Coraline. Hey, I have 12 balls of Rowan Cashsoft DK in the stash, for perhaps Lily from the new online magazine, Twist Collective. All of these new fantastic modern designs, and I went retro, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZT6CSPo1DBFgvdch8uKOsbrEW6e_XoQwNjfVL2GBJspTuNfyDIQBFhjFGOD2GU7xtvb05bM_wJm6Ex65KsWmRHYXI-ZGwSIi8tuBgMSDthzRd_sKjk86dyt1XwFpcOg29K_44Q/s1600-h/forecast+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241807299396327618" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZT6CSPo1DBFgvdch8uKOsbrEW6e_XoQwNjfVL2GBJspTuNfyDIQBFhjFGOD2GU7xtvb05bM_wJm6Ex65KsWmRHYXI-ZGwSIi8tuBgMSDthzRd_sKjk86dyt1XwFpcOg29K_44Q/s320/forecast+008.jpg" border="0" />Forecast</a>, a 2005 design from Knitty.<br /><br />I think it's the return of 90210, the Peach Pit, and the fabulously wealthy zipcode that spawned Melrose Place, that made me long for a puffy sleeve and perhaps a headband. Nostalgia for simpler times, simpler knits. But, alas, the Peach Pit is now a coffee bar, no big deal blow jobs in the parking lot have replaced should Donna go all the way with David, and this new family, eh, they're not the Walshes, and on the believability scale, these kids spent about as much time in Kansas as John McCain spent in Alaska. Times have changed, but the truth is, times were never "simpler," just different - and we have never thrived when we've had simple people, regardless of party affiliations, attempt to lead us.<br /><br />So, I won't be adding a peplum to the bottom of my sweater, and I'll be throwing in some decreases to subtract from the puffy sleeve. And, I'll be leaving 90210, and returning to my Party of Five reruns, and the Salingers, a flawed family I can get behind, mom jeans and all. <br /><br />And, speaking of flaws, I cast on this sweater on Saturday. On Sunday, I was ready to divide for the sleeve and the body. I put the body on scrap yarn, tried it on - yeah it fits, but but but - THERE'S A STRIPE OF STOCKINETTE 2 INCHES FROM THE CAST-ON!!!! The horror - unknit three repeats - a whole day's worth of knitting?!? Is it a flaw I can live with? We all have to decide what we can live with when we look in the mirror - some flaws become so inextricably linked with the fabric that it becomes a design element, something that makes it particularly, and tellingly homemade. Some flaws are so glarring, so unpalatable, that out they come.<br /><br />This is the conversation I had with my dad today, a longtime registered Republican, as he tried to rationalize all of the flaws that are emerging about Sarah Palin. This nomination is so offensive to me on so many levels that whenever I think about it - I can't even see straight. To me, it is so outrageous, so unacceptable that this person who would throw women back to the time of cavemen (because since there's no evolution, cavemen must be a good thing), putting women in chastity belts as opposed to practicing responsible birth control, could be a heartbeat away from leading this nation (a nation that just a few years ago from which she would have happily seceded), that Roe v. Wade could be unraveled at the hands of a woman that I would have to refrain from speaking to my father if he cast his vote for her. As you can see from that last run on sentence, when I think of her, I sputter, and smoke comes out of my ears (not that smoking, or our wasteful energy practices have lead to global warming or anything like that because apparently that's a myth).<br /><br />I don't know if it's my threat not to speak to him, or that truthfully, my fiscally conservative but basically civil rights oriented father could not look in the mirror knowing he had cast his vote against the polar bear is now voting Liberatrian. Go Bob Barr! I'm ok with that. <br /><br />And, as you can see from the picture above, ripping out 2 days worth of knitting on a winter sweater in 90 degree heat was really a no brainer.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-81992871997611848182008-08-29T08:08:00.000-07:002008-08-29T09:00:52.028-07:00Good TimesOk, ya got me - after being tagged twice by <a href="http://jenjerpeach2.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/tree-of-happiness-meme/">Jen</a>, I guess I'm "it" this time.<br /><br />Tree of Happiness Meme - Six Things That Make Me Happy<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUiYr4BAgKfc8ZFdaVHtekjG-t7u-shG8DR4UDDXPr_aFHm8tQ5bekmIo6rXg-uGpYTFcpwwmbtZUy2IHeWFVwRjlOQCUMBdGZHJi5xkinQM61hMSJraVkSR5k3aEeo7_pGT7K1w/s1600-h/smiley.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239961904053377794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUiYr4BAgKfc8ZFdaVHtekjG-t7u-shG8DR4UDDXPr_aFHm8tQ5bekmIo6rXg-uGpYTFcpwwmbtZUy2IHeWFVwRjlOQCUMBdGZHJi5xkinQM61hMSJraVkSR5k3aEeo7_pGT7K1w/s320/smiley.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />1. Mr. Tall. My boyfriend makes me very happy. After years and years of shitty shitty boyfriends, finally, a keeper.<br /><br />And, for my keeper, I made him these Charger Socks for his Size 12 foot:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NQD7f_EiMwPjarsqHK2oaPHnjSTRrLKOQ3AKya-ajU8kPtpobd7pMuKJElXZTp_OuME8GCJjLskQW-4p5U0ADL4pJaT5ycZmd9toFOu4YN32Airf8IG6iSdgLeVgyJLq4-poVg/s1600-h/norosock+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239957171133382370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NQD7f_EiMwPjarsqHK2oaPHnjSTRrLKOQ3AKya-ajU8kPtpobd7pMuKJElXZTp_OuME8GCJjLskQW-4p5U0ADL4pJaT5ycZmd9toFOu4YN32Airf8IG6iSdgLeVgyJLq4-poVg/s320/norosock+011.jpg" border="0" /></a> We had only been dating a couple of months last year when his birthday rolled around, and I decided to forgo conventional knitting wisdom, and knit him something - socks, harmless enough. I found <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5049317">Yarn Magnet's</a> Etsy shop, specializing in sock yarn for sports teams. I neglected to notice that Yarn Magnet was located in Canada until after I paid the bill, and while I tapped my toe waiting for the yarn to arrive, his birthday loomed near. So, instead of knitting a pair of socks, I knit Cobblestone in five days, or whatever ridiculous time period it was. The sock yarn did arrive, sometime around Halloween, and the birthday socks became Christmas socks, that became Valentine's Day socks, that became Memorial Day Socks, and finally, Opening Day Socks. Go Chargers! (er, cough, EAGLES!)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSnuZbxlMrba6O-AvrRbVtw6D2HX-0YrJaONUApQgcQYvRq_e3VfnKpUb6NAlqJinoYi5dc_5NBg7NRDZzKBqcuZsjPc8qWi9-EWiYDK3KXnFORduNchCggz09xiAy7W7skc8Lw/s1600-h/norosock+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239957062995232962" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSnuZbxlMrba6O-AvrRbVtw6D2HX-0YrJaONUApQgcQYvRq_e3VfnKpUb6NAlqJinoYi5dc_5NBg7NRDZzKBqcuZsjPc8qWi9-EWiYDK3KXnFORduNchCggz09xiAy7W7skc8Lw/s320/norosock+010.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFVuWwNtNgUxn-CrUtg6cZVN1UA7hzX8sghQXHgyR6SvreE8eYA91CU_ub2fDQGDk9ktStt8mm8b4rxvLTJonqUtLvg32sS9DSPsveCTn0TyLqB23lN4DtiA1G38G-i76BCOdPw/s1600-h/norosock+013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239956935120197474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFVuWwNtNgUxn-CrUtg6cZVN1UA7hzX8sghQXHgyR6SvreE8eYA91CU_ub2fDQGDk9ktStt8mm8b4rxvLTJonqUtLvg32sS9DSPsveCTn0TyLqB23lN4DtiA1G38G-i76BCOdPw/s320/norosock+013.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />2. My niece and nephew. I can't tell you how entertained I am by these little buggers, my niece particularly, since she's at that particularly precocious age. One of her favorite games is doctor. Me, not my favorite game - she gets right in my face, close talking and all - but whatever. So, she examines me, and the diagnosis - I have a crab in my ear. A crab? Yes, a crab. As she begins to get out her extraction instrument (the leg of her Hairspray doll), my mom walks in - "You know Aunt Wendy doesn't like doctor." "I know," she says, "But Aunt Wendy is being a good sport." Love it - just the little things like that!<br /><br />3. Yarn. Especially my yarn. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWAny_tUirsocZxyJlXcTZ85QSKewckdnSl_7as2yVJ_T7C4_I3uluxS10QXfg3nmLuEc5xy08TzDu0g4smr-XW3fnQ2-VQJsDFZKMydPhwfIb9TDHRkZ-xTbAObBSSOG3Z58tg/s1600-h/stash+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239963089186684226" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWAny_tUirsocZxyJlXcTZ85QSKewckdnSl_7as2yVJ_T7C4_I3uluxS10QXfg3nmLuEc5xy08TzDu0g4smr-XW3fnQ2-VQJsDFZKMydPhwfIb9TDHRkZ-xTbAObBSSOG3Z58tg/s320/stash+001.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I love my stash. I love to visit my stash. And, I have been enjoying protecting my stash with one of my birthday presents from Mr. Tall (see Happiness Point 1 - he cares about my yarn too!), a Foodsaver vaccuum sealer! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZJDP5JgAHQwyYzTt6Yme-96BW3M-FYtezhglKnBo3acLbXp5m_NPASX-_qrUn8otPMXCPdkQpW-Wq04B0f0QqEt2HNQDiT_XxA-VOxwKIzp5x9j9K0PeNR9uCiIGSOMs_iKGwQ/s1600-h/foodsaver.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239961552025757202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZJDP5JgAHQwyYzTt6Yme-96BW3M-FYtezhglKnBo3acLbXp5m_NPASX-_qrUn8otPMXCPdkQpW-Wq04B0f0QqEt2HNQDiT_XxA-VOxwKIzp5x9j9K0PeNR9uCiIGSOMs_iKGwQ/s320/foodsaver.jpg" border="0" /></a> All of my yarn, once at the mercy of those nasty moths that seem to roam free in my house, is now protected from all insect enemies.<br /><br />4. A Cup of Coffee and the Sunday Times. A good cup of coffee, any day, to me is like chocolate (or crack). And the Times? For $6.00 you get the NYT Book Review, the NYT Magazine, a window into the NY theater scene, and the marriage announcements of John McCain's middle class (i.e. those in that $5 million bracket). Can't beat that bargain!<br /><br />5. The beach. And Crabs. They go hand and hand for me. A day on the beach, from sun up to sunset, and then hardshell crabs on the pier. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteRBRg-0T7WIv_Am9Mw3Hxyo5Fow38pO_YGwRtAbhM-7MCahSnXExtEpZYXl1o46CmqQlW3fh1xuD-ahC0Bv-SV76zvU4BI5pS71DzX3hzNXa2d60JXcXrXzan6WysqWgOwG1CQ/s1600-h/norosock+017.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239965140293122802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteRBRg-0T7WIv_Am9Mw3Hxyo5Fow38pO_YGwRtAbhM-7MCahSnXExtEpZYXl1o46CmqQlW3fh1xuD-ahC0Bv-SV76zvU4BI5pS71DzX3hzNXa2d60JXcXrXzan6WysqWgOwG1CQ/s320/norosock+017.jpg" border="0" /></a> This was my birthday - and along with a bottle of wine - it made me very happy.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQzprZR2jE5cP2KWj0m9TBqzusYaAV6cVwTq7u5kLn9W0lemN4WHQBGL92zGn6dbzkplEOJi2PqQsmx7qhLscB24fhH1ymPWenA-bIyjJfQSqBBx35a0G1zcfP8Fk21FtKoVvoQ/s1600-h/norosock+015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239965045961056242" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQzprZR2jE5cP2KWj0m9TBqzusYaAV6cVwTq7u5kLn9W0lemN4WHQBGL92zGn6dbzkplEOJi2PqQsmx7qhLscB24fhH1ymPWenA-bIyjJfQSqBBx35a0G1zcfP8Fk21FtKoVvoQ/s320/norosock+015.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />6. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgIxc_ung0lrwxoa3Rj-eyTfqpYsnLkALdDVwQYUoSPYAw0dyQnO67o2_t0WYHBGi_MrjJiAefZSaeOAdM_KCVfjuE0x2RuogPP4jqPwh9isOmO968SQq2poQvGRdpZNN4deCxA/s1600-h/ObamaBidenButton.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239969124132565762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgIxc_ung0lrwxoa3Rj-eyTfqpYsnLkALdDVwQYUoSPYAw0dyQnO67o2_t0WYHBGi_MrjJiAefZSaeOAdM_KCVfjuE0x2RuogPP4jqPwh9isOmO968SQq2poQvGRdpZNN4deCxA/s320/ObamaBidenButton.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-12417110815152983712008-08-18T08:10:00.001-07:002008-08-18T08:54:27.198-07:00The Beast is SlayedEveryone can breath a sigh of relief - the cat hair scarf project is over.<br /><br />I wish I could say that I took a stand on behalf of all knitters of taste and esthetic sensibility - that I told this strange man that his scarf looked like cat barf, and in the name of all that is good, and lovely, and right with knit garments, I was refusing to knit another stitch. But,I went the easy route, and told him that Mr. Tall was horribly allergic to it, and I just couldn't keep it in the house. He took it very well, and seemed to see a lightbulb of sorts - "hmmm, I guess I would have to be careful wearing it, I couldn't wear it around anyone allergic to cats." I was disappointed, although not surprised, that he didn't just say, "oh, that's not what I thought it would be at all - that's horrendous," but I guess that was too much to hope for. Whatever. At least I'm no longer contributing to this complete knitting affrontery.<br /><br />So, I've sort of been involved in the Ravelympics. I say "sort of" because I really don't have that gold medal spirit, or attitude, for that matter. First, I didn't start a new project - I just chugged along on a WIP, for the WIP Wrestling event. I've been test knitting a Manos sweater for Courtney. Big bummer of a competitive project, because it just never even had a chance of "qualifying" - a. I started it without having the whole pattern, b. because it's test knitting, there were a few glitches to be worked out, which stalled the project, and c. it's a really big sweater. And, I can't photograph it - what's the point of posting at the finish line, if everyone can't go ooooo, aaaaaahhhhh!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFrHFTfDG2wKBiA4OdErPSbpTPfmAPV096cWpygVZdoaQq1CftAubMt4wvqOiV_ffiJQQJe8nBis3NfgdnAZtkl0Mk9siEMIxwsgtoln-zv0UY3Q_igQqcruBaSQ8amQr8_hNOQ/s1600-h/bluesky.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFrHFTfDG2wKBiA4OdErPSbpTPfmAPV096cWpygVZdoaQq1CftAubMt4wvqOiV_ffiJQQJe8nBis3NfgdnAZtkl0Mk9siEMIxwsgtoln-zv0UY3Q_igQqcruBaSQ8amQr8_hNOQ/s320/bluesky.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235882991315996626" /></a>I have the back, and half a front done of the Mystery Manos Cardigan, and I treated myself to casting on a second Ravelympics project - the Rectangle Stole from Blue Sky Alpaca. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOtf9a3j0QRK_fukk8fDuGSefx5Zhan0tdwj6oiMmbWbHNUDSBrbrNIf50XQVkqhgGaxH8as1msMaYpcpQ_NrZKOkQpt8QV6zslg41D_Hg-25wAVH4OcfVaa5nNM_0FflQhwrgQ/s1600-h/norosock+005.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOtf9a3j0QRK_fukk8fDuGSefx5Zhan0tdwj6oiMmbWbHNUDSBrbrNIf50XQVkqhgGaxH8as1msMaYpcpQ_NrZKOkQpt8QV6zslg41D_Hg-25wAVH4OcfVaa5nNM_0FflQhwrgQ/s320/norosock+005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235875462016893266" /></a><br />Originally, I had been planning to knit the new Eunny Jang bias stole in the Fall IK, but, after reading the pattern, it just seemed like a pain in the butt. The lacey faggoting is one strand of chosen yarn, but the garter ridges are formed with three strands held together. Eh, I don't love it that much that it's worth the hassle of winding off extra balls of yarn. This simple Rectangle Stole, on the other hand, is sooooo easy. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNdaZa-tff14DkU0Il4t7yZsZh9w9PECfYY-UsFhwhvwxGtFdEVDmSJjoMtZRRmN2jjqYNlVhqT-gZhGF1ZO7-ZAWyiVo6I8MMAD0ehYJPx7W4_jWzSbxzIsFyhyx0mvPfwUaRQ/s1600-h/norosock+002.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNdaZa-tff14DkU0Il4t7yZsZh9w9PECfYY-UsFhwhvwxGtFdEVDmSJjoMtZRRmN2jjqYNlVhqT-gZhGF1ZO7-ZAWyiVo6I8MMAD0ehYJPx7W4_jWzSbxzIsFyhyx0mvPfwUaRQ/s320/norosock+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235875375035708962" /></a> If I had cast on during the opening ceremonies, I certainly would be in the homestretch now. <br /><br />The yarn is Noro Silk Garden Sock - and as you can kind of see in the picture, there's a subtle, natural colorway striping going on. At first I couldn't decide if I liked it, or if it just looked like dirty yarn, but I decided I like it, and I think it's going to be yummy for fall. I haven't had any Noroesque problems with the yarn - no breaking, no knots, no straw or other foliage. But, alas, after the nice treat of casting on, it's back to the Manos sweater for the remainder of the games.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-16096128973713045392008-08-08T07:42:00.000-07:002008-08-08T08:35:07.082-07:00Beauty and the Beast<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirffekxSO8n25ncKxSO8UMZuUWgPy_ySlWJzKqJPyxAmgL4REcHmq3eA7eynSH2Gdxe0evzx_1osQiGy1Qw26UTpHdPxu2vpaoFV8yYk3n5LlBmIy3eN9cOv0OOefcSDaddoW69A/s1600-h/melon4.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirffekxSO8n25ncKxSO8UMZuUWgPy_ySlWJzKqJPyxAmgL4REcHmq3eA7eynSH2Gdxe0evzx_1osQiGy1Qw26UTpHdPxu2vpaoFV8yYk3n5LlBmIy3eN9cOv0OOefcSDaddoW69A/s320/melon4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232158171404111058" /></a> Ah, summer! Time for the beach, time for reading murder mysteries (In the Woods, The Likeness, by Tana French - highly recommended beach/poolside reads), drinking white wine spritzers, and, um, not so much knitting, or blogging for that matter. I'm sure as we head into Labor Day, I'll return to my regularly scheduled programming (speaking of programming though - I've been catching up on last seasons Mad Men - watch it!).<br /><br />So, first the beauty, my lace kick has continued. I finished the Melon Shawl from Victorian Lace Today, in a lovely summer shade of green Handmaiden Sea Silk.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuiyvL69T81qiEjcSgVHhbBi6mMm0KyKvGl9KMr-49kYA0PiAe4STDzShzMk_jPAA3RsQEi_pqOOEoAlQ-Ms1wqaGOZoAU994xmgpF_kwJy3A9Jp9HX_LOcHGtPzeCRDUXCc5WA/s1600-h/melon3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuiyvL69T81qiEjcSgVHhbBi6mMm0KyKvGl9KMr-49kYA0PiAe4STDzShzMk_jPAA3RsQEi_pqOOEoAlQ-Ms1wqaGOZoAU994xmgpF_kwJy3A9Jp9HX_LOcHGtPzeCRDUXCc5WA/s320/melon3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232158365507726066" /></a> I love this color for the melon stitch, because to me, the tiny bundles do look like little green melons, and that makes me smile. Ah summer - the simple things!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfX_060beUhTIdfmAT6O1hGVbUqwRsnLSw6FJwxCXynvMqI7AkQmd9BVh5DYqsRKS1v7X7OEoCqb7TNkubC9e8ceZ5eAWhvspPK1uGgblHhYXPcUUJrSCOE5EQoZM1WNHyYV45A/s1600-h/melon1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfX_060beUhTIdfmAT6O1hGVbUqwRsnLSw6FJwxCXynvMqI7AkQmd9BVh5DYqsRKS1v7X7OEoCqb7TNkubC9e8ceZ5eAWhvspPK1uGgblHhYXPcUUJrSCOE5EQoZM1WNHyYV45A/s320/melon1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232158269873826674" /></a> The six row repeat is super simple, easily memorized, and pretty hard to screw up. The version in the book is knit in Kid Silk Haze, a yarn that has never inspired me, and the one time I knit with it, drove me out of my mind for my complete inability to unknit it. So, I went with the silky Handmaiden, and I love it, and now I find myself rethinking all of the patterns in the book that are all fuzzed up with the dreaded Kid Silk. I'm even contemplating knitting that frou frou fluffy feather and fan cape in something smoother, more merino. Crazy.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWNzdx0Yflm9wiD466hrAwBWm73K2wrDjtzDbcRwgp_ugbUNE0IN_uHtzQI4KNwFBbz22AsZRzboufJ2MGXGbSL3YMRwT2Ra4kp8n6HsrrBctlNjrmWjHdDBgRWSiWk6YruClvw/s1600-h/melon2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWNzdx0Yflm9wiD466hrAwBWm73K2wrDjtzDbcRwgp_ugbUNE0IN_uHtzQI4KNwFBbz22AsZRzboufJ2MGXGbSL3YMRwT2Ra4kp8n6HsrrBctlNjrmWjHdDBgRWSiWk6YruClvw/s320/melon2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232158084245233778" /></a> On a bit of a sad note, I did spend about three hours knitting this scarf/stole in the emergency room of Jefferson Hospital. Mr. Tall was out riding his bike when a car side swiped him - AND KEPT ON GOING! Poor Mr. Tall, all 6'4" of him sprawled out on the sidewalk, at 19th and Lombard. Conveniently, I was at the pool (20th and Lombard), having the day off, and I went with him to the hospital. Luckily, he managed to walk away with a bunch of scraps, and a badly bruised butt - ouch! While we were hanging at the gurney in the hallway waiting for his tests to come back, I knit, he writhed in pain, and, wouldn't ya know it, every nurse who walked by - did they stop to ask him if he was comfortable? did he need some water? was he in pain? Oh, no - it was, what is that you're making?!? ooo, can I see that? Oh, is that crochet? Ah, can you show me how to do that? Priorities in the er - go figure.<br /><br />Anyway, Mr. Tall is perfect again, and my melon scarf was a huge hit - especially with my mother, who has now put in her order for her very own, in an orangey red colorway. Uch. Now, I'm happy to knit for my mom, and I can hardly refuse to accomodate her request, it is her 70th birthday coming up after all. But, gosh I hate knitting the same thing twice. And, I'm getting jammed up with obligation knitting, uch. I'm doing some testing knitting for Manos, a gigantic sweater, that has to be done by the end of the month (which was very convenient for the Ravelympics, since I'm on a deadline anyway), and then there's this . . . the beast.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyCd23FjlJ9RFMNjNxEcH8EnsdxGPJw5OClPAdTZ-hlUTw4MWxflldNFtRobaIFKn1PIVuX52huNZzlZy4MY3J3GIIjOseeEsgPdJNVzDhakfQeJk-wp5QKO4POwfYfGf1izCCg/s1600-h/cathair+005.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyCd23FjlJ9RFMNjNxEcH8EnsdxGPJw5OClPAdTZ-hlUTw4MWxflldNFtRobaIFKn1PIVuX52huNZzlZy4MY3J3GIIjOseeEsgPdJNVzDhakfQeJk-wp5QKO4POwfYfGf1izCCg/s320/cathair+005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232157888118407346" /></a><br /><br />This creepy little man at the pool approached me last year about knitting a scarf for him - out of his cat's hair. He had been saving his cat's hair for 12 years, until he felt he had enough to send it to a mill to be spun. At the time, the hair wasn't spun yet, and I was like, yeah, sure, whatever. I figured, once he go the "yarn," that would be the end of his scarf idea.<br /><br />Nope. Yes, my friends, that skein above is actually cat hair. First thing this summer, he approached me again about the project. I said I would have to see the yarn. A week later, there was the yarn - three shades of cat brown. It looked eh, I figured - fine, I'll do a garter stitch scarf, lengthwise, with brown gradations, no biggie. But, that's not what he had in mind. He came into Rosie's, plopped down, and went through every pattern book in the store, until he settled on a honeycomb stitch. He doesn't really have enough yarn for that, so I started to swatch a lattice stitch -<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidyZae93GghiOZDkBmTRhzRo82al1ax8dBm0889XYJBgKaCR0cl2mzGCDFsMIOo2i5UQklYOYu8j92X5X7NkQ53IBweiDNEr7UUrhexjQAdUUnp-bSKzlXP7LxKaRY3ayXe68mAA/s1600-h/cathair+002.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidyZae93GghiOZDkBmTRhzRo82al1ax8dBm0889XYJBgKaCR0cl2mzGCDFsMIOo2i5UQklYOYu8j92X5X7NkQ53IBweiDNEr7UUrhexjQAdUUnp-bSKzlXP7LxKaRY3ayXe68mAA/s320/cathair+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232157613961564018" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CMLFwSba-KMwldcxot2JnHwIHEdBiPlrNZsIhZQxJwHBQB8Gnb1g40r-ZhWiBGfO_IeTKnOI348DbUqok9cI1o5Oti8PCOcJQNLK5GE6jYIRw1hw_8p6-RHiWH0YJsg5vGCzkg/s1600-h/cathair+003.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CMLFwSba-KMwldcxot2JnHwIHEdBiPlrNZsIhZQxJwHBQB8Gnb1g40r-ZhWiBGfO_IeTKnOI348DbUqok9cI1o5Oti8PCOcJQNLK5GE6jYIRw1hw_8p6-RHiWH0YJsg5vGCzkg/s320/cathair+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232157764674824130" /></a><br /><br />Don't adjust your monitor - those pictures are not blurry, or out of focus in anyway - THEY ARE JUST HIDEOUS AND DISGUSTING. The more I knit, the more it felts, the more matted it becomes, and the more it resembles a wet cat - now that's something you really want to wrap around your neck. And I have to knit it? The cat is still alive - he can just throw him out in the rain, and then cuddle up to him on the sofa.<br /><br />Now the dilemna - continue on, and charge him beaucoup bucks, or for the sake of good taste, do I just give the whole revolting, sicko project back - so he, and the very much alive cat, can both snuggle up to the wound up skeins and be satisified with that.<br /><br />I guess there comes a time in every knitters life when they have to decide where to draw the line, when to knit a project that has nothing to do with their own knitting needs. Some projects that I knit, I would prefer not to - baby gifts, reknits, finishing for my mom when she knits those heinous acrylic baby blankets for Hadassah. But, just because I don't want to, doesn't necessarily create any moral dilemna - gifts are a good thing, and there's a place in this world for acryllic. Then, there's the knits I do for money/store credit - the test knits. These knits, although not on my personally priority meter, are all well designed, and are adding to the modern knitting library. Easy enough. But, now, am I a K&A knitter (as in, cough, Kensington and Allegheny) if I sold my knit soul to the cat and knit it's hair? <br /><br />Do I cross the cat hair line?Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-65284024938596142202008-06-19T10:27:00.000-07:002008-11-13T06:33:28.355-08:00Hot Pink Hyrna<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Y7FNkUs4BK0A0nfWOLy23LIknaKIWaYeuPHv1zOBK7EMu2jpLS3hjp6L5fd5HvMju6wRamUMemrjqO0XxZ7GIBi4qOHBkhD7Yr14e5FlHPEdzg1Rj5EdeoiBFoLGckZpvv4MiQ/s1600-h/hyrna+018.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Y7FNkUs4BK0A0nfWOLy23LIknaKIWaYeuPHv1zOBK7EMu2jpLS3hjp6L5fd5HvMju6wRamUMemrjqO0XxZ7GIBi4qOHBkhD7Yr14e5FlHPEdzg1Rj5EdeoiBFoLGckZpvv4MiQ/s320/hyrna+018.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213645983541934434" /></a> La dee da, don't I look like a girl without a care in the world? Doesn't this picture kind of have a "whistle while you work," quality to it?<br /><br />And, luckily, that's pretty much the way life is going these days. The move took a lot longer than I thought it would - for a guy who had no stuff, he sure had a lot of stuff. And not only have I not had a roommate in a gazillion years, a partner/boyfriend in my space, er our space, is something completely new to me. But, for all of the adjustment, everything is going really well, knock with your needles, and Chez Wendy and Tall is a happy household.<br /><br />I haven't blogged in awhile because I was waiting for some knitting content - and viola - big PINK content!<br /><br />This is Hyrna, from the descriptively titled "Thrihyrnur og langsjol / Three-cornered and long shawls," and yes, the book has 3 cornered shawls, and long shawls. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8uNktmVTYcD_v28K7IODT16kSj_lZTd9_B-V0aX16TiVNYlGubu4jIcGFHiFXRVAx8cibA6Dr-zlRddzkiLctV8Du1uf0VNQO0OagSbOH_rk0_y508D4RSwtSVAgzsv3dzM8TwA/s1600-h/hyrna+013.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8uNktmVTYcD_v28K7IODT16kSj_lZTd9_B-V0aX16TiVNYlGubu4jIcGFHiFXRVAx8cibA6Dr-zlRddzkiLctV8Du1uf0VNQO0OagSbOH_rk0_y508D4RSwtSVAgzsv3dzM8TwA/s320/hyrna+013.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213647585303657042" /></a> <br />I had originally started Hyrna in a lovely cream "colored" cobweb cashmere from Lacis - but the bigger it got, the bride-y-er it got, and I have to say, after seeing Sex and the City (which I did not love, but I won't go into it just in case there's still some sex-starved fan out there yet who hasn't seen it) I'm pretty anti-bride (not any marriage, or anti-ceremony, but anti Bride with a Capital B). So, I trashed that and reknit in a fantastically vibrant hot pink - this is the Jenjer colorway of Conjoined Creations Passtimes Soy Silk.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1h80hnkk_IqC35ERrNQ9dkOvy2KZN8UZpSDsEl4VZCBF9-9cC2esHftockBCeA2M8jNBvYtoFr-W8Y5tI1QnSCKTlhXyylQ3to0TfyJ5qRMnxlAUrsurz3aPyYWXdC7RjrqyUg/s1600-h/hyrna+009.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1h80hnkk_IqC35ERrNQ9dkOvy2KZN8UZpSDsEl4VZCBF9-9cC2esHftockBCeA2M8jNBvYtoFr-W8Y5tI1QnSCKTlhXyylQ3to0TfyJ5qRMnxlAUrsurz3aPyYWXdC7RjrqyUg/s320/hyrna+009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213647320219706978" /></a> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_LybsnMbqJZltJrxSigR8lTKMyrWiiMWuUn4cQBoi5gMCbmpmQz7ch2YJbXRjGQLIDFJcSqzLDSFI9tFVTUHFDU22R5NluD6BSxVnmWlQJwL3O7gyvNJLZUlWGWxinHOGJS-QQ/s1600-h/hyrna+002.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_LybsnMbqJZltJrxSigR8lTKMyrWiiMWuUn4cQBoi5gMCbmpmQz7ch2YJbXRjGQLIDFJcSqzLDSFI9tFVTUHFDU22R5NluD6BSxVnmWlQJwL3O7gyvNJLZUlWGWxinHOGJS-QQ/s320/hyrna+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213647085215996002" /></a> So I'm not sure where or how I plan to wear this, but I love it. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWtWbJoFyHLkzZ6_BQqUG8ymgQ2gR9Ct-3iHWg5u-pgMB4t-PDy2Bz53XvWUuKAJB4e8RBnOiAfGCdjAJTEbSpOZs9gMKui0mMowsKvIKANS9KZ6XDe-vw05wlv4vAWkM89AINA/s1600-h/hyrna+011.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWtWbJoFyHLkzZ6_BQqUG8ymgQ2gR9Ct-3iHWg5u-pgMB4t-PDy2Bz53XvWUuKAJB4e8RBnOiAfGCdjAJTEbSpOZs9gMKui0mMowsKvIKANS9KZ6XDe-vw05wlv4vAWkM89AINA/s320/hyrna+011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213646509342685970" /></a> And, now I'm all about color, and lace - summer truly has arrived!!!<br /><br />So, next up is a project yet to be determined in Hand Maiden's Sea Silk. I snatched up the last 2 solid skeins from Rosie's - a bright, electric chartreuse, and cast on for the <a href="http://blog.fiberdreams.com/patterns/south-seas-stole/">South Seas Stole</a>, but these seas are already fraught with disaster. First, I bought beads that were too tiny for both the crochet hook, and the yarn. Then, I bought bigger beads, but I didn't like the color nearly as much as the mistake beads, and these kind of dull beads didn't seem to do anything to the yarn - accept make it tacky looking. Then, I cast on, and somehow my skein turned into a knotted, hot mess - I'm still detangling. But, in the detangling process, I've fallen more in love with the yarn, and less in love with South Seas - at least for this yarn. I've put South Seas back in the queue, tossed the bad beads, and I think I'll do it sometime in the future with Zephyr, or something else with more of a halo that's in my stash.<br /><br />So, what's to become of the Sea Silk once its knotted no more? I think the Melon Shawl from Victorian Lace Today, but I'm going to swatch it first, and see how it goes. In the meantime, I have a few more projects in my head, and one on needles - the Swirl Shawl in Blue Moon's laci - pretty, but the hexagons are pretty darn dull to knit. But, it's good pool knitting.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-49712854724584313412008-05-22T06:10:00.000-07:002008-11-13T06:33:29.376-08:00Darcy Deluxed<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarTjGuVkVVjfnkH7b_TkaNe5BsgsegEgVXb0hlRv-kv9oMO1zCiQu-io6EcgZJq-mAjSULAqfEZp4We1tuoCs1467I5ZEPXw5drP5Jgr64zPLS6KtiiawaibNdNPUBQBlgajtCA/s1600-h/tierra+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203554402909879538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarTjGuVkVVjfnkH7b_TkaNe5BsgsegEgVXb0hlRv-kv9oMO1zCiQu-io6EcgZJq-mAjSULAqfEZp4We1tuoCs1467I5ZEPXw5drP5Jgr64zPLS6KtiiawaibNdNPUBQBlgajtCA/s320/tierra+011.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Ok, so I knit 2 sweaters in one month, so what? It's kind of a stressful time - it's either eat or knit - and while I've kind of been doing a combination of both - I've definitely favored the knitting.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGSzE9dmVuJjVdYFT04r2gslzuDcj7roNl1z5Xr7oRhO7QXIjX5G5aHB_x7gvizWbqwJvKM3QVT2pBSmz9E5YHjbQZS4RuNnlCcqNRneh6myBIk544PP3_I84ei2iVyw0fFXT9w/s1600-h/tierra.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203585769056042258" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGSzE9dmVuJjVdYFT04r2gslzuDcj7roNl1z5Xr7oRhO7QXIjX5G5aHB_x7gvizWbqwJvKM3QVT2pBSmz9E5YHjbQZS4RuNnlCcqNRneh6myBIk544PP3_I84ei2iVyw0fFXT9w/s320/tierra.jpg" border="0" /></a> So, this is <a href="http://indieknits.wordpress.com/patterns-2/patterns/">Mrs. Darcy</a> from Rambings of an Obsessive Knitter. The pattern is written for a size 34, which I am not, and even with a plunging neckline, my girls need more room. So, I did the follow to make it work:<br /><br />1. I added an extra four inches, casting on an additional 8 stitches in the back, and four stitches to each side.<br /><br />2. I knit in one piece to the armhole, adding fake seams with a purl stitch between each front and the back.<br /><br />3. At the armhole, I put nine stitches on a holder, four from the back, four from each front, with the purl seam stitch in the center. I made the armhole roughly 2 inches longer - adding an additional 10 rows. As I did each section, I didn’t bind off, but rather put my stitches on a holder to do a three needle bind off.<br /><br />4. Once the shoulders were joined via three needle bind off, I picked up around the armhole for the sleeve, plus the 9 stitches on a holder, for a total of 64 stitches + the purl seam stitch. I then knit 5 inches straight, and then started decreasing on each side of my purl seam every five rows until I hit 42 stitches + the purl seam stitch. Then, I knit a few inches straight, and did the ribbed cuff.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVi_MAs2gb-QYciu9UQvWuWL-yBORg2wr8XJRhFwZTSdh0BLxdHAPMicQ3RyNqNponlLiCVB_rvEtRVxvhnLe1H1uCvj35QAu4m-hd5oAHm72PBEsFFzqrJY1xL3EGkX9X03FM1g/s1600-h/tierra2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203585678861729026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVi_MAs2gb-QYciu9UQvWuWL-yBORg2wr8XJRhFwZTSdh0BLxdHAPMicQ3RyNqNponlLiCVB_rvEtRVxvhnLe1H1uCvj35QAu4m-hd5oAHm72PBEsFFzqrJY1xL3EGkX9X03FM1g/s320/tierra2.jpg" border="0" /></a> No sewing, sweet!<br /><br />So, it took me so long to post a picture, even though it's been done for a few days, because the first set of pictures really looked horrendous. Mr. Tall and I went on the deck, to photograph Mrs. Darcy among my flower box garden. I thought she'd look great next to my killer petunia. Unfortunately, the white button down shirt I was wearing underneath was all crookedy, and my buxom looked GIGANTIC. After I saw the pictures, I asked Mr. Tall why he didn't tell me me shirt was askew, and he said, there was nothing wrong with the shirt, I was just popping out of the whole thing. Huh. But then I put the black t-shirt on this morning, and demonstrated that its suppposed to look like I'm popping out of the plunging neckline, but my shirt all fackokted was the problem with the original shoot. In any event, it's not the most flattering thing I've ever knit, but with the right shirt underneath, it's actually much better than it photographs.<br /><br />Now, I'm kind of back to the Starmore. I took it to knitting circle on Wednesday, got my bearings, and figured out where I was in the pattern again. I counted stitches between markers . . . and counted again - and then had Magda count for me - and I missed the 2 front decreases on a repeat, because the front has 2 more stitches than the back. Sigh. I think I'm just going to fudge it though, and throw them in, rather than taking out several rows. I have to pick up the band around the armhole anyway, it'll all work out, easy peasy.<br /><br />In nonknitting news, the big moving day is Wednesday - so we've been getting the house ready. Mr. Tall doesn't have much stuff, but I do - so it's been a lot of getting rid of things to make space. And then there's the Big Paint that's going on. I did the first coat of primer - and I did a SHITTY job - paint everywhere. When Joe came home, he just couldn't understand how I could be so good at one craft (knitting) and bad at another (painting). I explained, through my frustration tears at my own sloppy handiwork, that I don't want to be good at painting. In fact, I've officially retired from painting. However, I did spend the next several days scratchy, rubbing, and willing the paint off the hardwood floor with Goof Off. Oy, my nails!<br /><br />While Tall hasn't quite moved in yet, his Wii has - yeah! I won't go so far as to say I've become a "gamer," but I did enjoy CSI/Hard Evidence, love tennis, and we just got Wii fit - fun fitness, gotta like it! And on Wednesday, the Wii will be joined by the PS3 and the Xbox - it's all so exciting!Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-17148246699554137662008-05-12T08:06:00.000-07:002008-11-13T06:33:30.421-08:00Terra Terra Terra!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WepTLaCugehomrV7MDrjnNF1dqdmo07xXRby-_XXPZuF4ix-xuloxmfaXHm-XBXrV11Q8WTS0EdBspvFfgXhqr_FLBndE1r1cJPXBcZ1XSbgDGk-gde62N4y3WsToAXzJgP4Bg/s1600-h/terra+003.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WepTLaCugehomrV7MDrjnNF1dqdmo07xXRby-_XXPZuF4ix-xuloxmfaXHm-XBXrV11Q8WTS0EdBspvFfgXhqr_FLBndE1r1cJPXBcZ1XSbgDGk-gde62N4y3WsToAXzJgP4Bg/s320/terra+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199508441130600546" /></a> So, as I was feverishly knitting away on my Terra pullover at the store on Saturday, Sherry walked in, took one look at the sweater and said, "Wasn't that just yarn like a week ago." From just yarn to a completed sweater in exactly a week.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZ3vzALIYWEAYkVYMD8bhB3dU9Dol7iePyXoM0FHaodNC-Uqpr7Ictt5We3rfnbZATjbs9fml6Gx84DbNUSmEJ0JLcuQmFfQTiBdLdXVLd_PTDGwtPwX_AvIOMshBXgJjrNEHjA/s1600-h/terra+009.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZ3vzALIYWEAYkVYMD8bhB3dU9Dol7iePyXoM0FHaodNC-Uqpr7Ictt5We3rfnbZATjbs9fml6Gx84DbNUSmEJ0JLcuQmFfQTiBdLdXVLd_PTDGwtPwX_AvIOMshBXgJjrNEHjA/s320/terra+009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199508346641320018" /></a> Loco, right? I don't know why I couldn't put this thing down. Well, it was super easy, round and round, big gauge (4/inch), only 2 colors per row in the yoke, with only 2 or 3 stitch floats.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TEE1HI44mg7Kp2ssq3CBAhnsaL3rlBRCze_YfsH-lIfWh_ydJ6L85FjcgiJcGD3OdFq14KiPJsoDXTXeEvzIng4xWLcczmipHlyhSYSsUIjkX3_TB87ce3coeCgrD_933cK_6g/s1600-h/terra+011.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TEE1HI44mg7Kp2ssq3CBAhnsaL3rlBRCze_YfsH-lIfWh_ydJ6L85FjcgiJcGD3OdFq14KiPJsoDXTXeEvzIng4xWLcczmipHlyhSYSsUIjkX3_TB87ce3coeCgrD_933cK_6g/s320/terra+011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199508256447006786" /></a> And the yarn - like butter. I often say yarn is like butter, and I just mean it's soft. This yarn is not only soft - it's creamy! And it has a sheen to it that glistens like butter. Ok, it's not exactly the consistancy that you would want to spread on a bagel, but close.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyba3J-Ie3jN8O-scXid36mAgwaQQWMXsj2HV7jZcqyhyjJHKmlxQGFC9EzG8fb9B3Xn5x5khA32QdqRtjespa-1pA6-vqQFeyGLtJ_2qsjwrjyx6jtK40kvxlLVYqjLoxSqiRzw/s1600-h/terra+012.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyba3J-Ie3jN8O-scXid36mAgwaQQWMXsj2HV7jZcqyhyjJHKmlxQGFC9EzG8fb9B3Xn5x5khA32QdqRtjespa-1pA6-vqQFeyGLtJ_2qsjwrjyx6jtK40kvxlLVYqjLoxSqiRzw/s320/terra+012.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199508187727530034" /></a> And, with this crazy Philly weather, I thought, if I could just get it done this instant I might be able to get a wearing in - and voila - it's only 50 some degrees today, and I'm wearing my lambswool, silk, merino sweater! Yeah!<br /><br />Next up, Brooks Farm, and the Mrs. Darcy cardigan - already cast on - another perfect project for a Philly May, or not!Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-27677663676256420212008-05-05T06:49:00.000-07:002008-11-13T06:33:34.076-08:00Ever wonder what 6:30 a.m. at Rosie's looks like? I never thought I'd know, but fearless Courtney had faith that if we opened the store at the crack of dawn, sold the Koigu millends at a discount, and provided coffee, there would be no brawls, hospitalization or tears.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9OdvpE4DsnmlpcM25KAT4eg8jpn328nffiLGporuaVmvZmjSPuuAKF3gn4j3o-Flk8zZaFzIreRHU9FKR675-sD-w8VjziO3TThr4cI_Bz2gcwgUUV8aYOb11tidG4WX0GgaGw/s1600-h/msw+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196899413378059346" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9OdvpE4DsnmlpcM25KAT4eg8jpn328nffiLGporuaVmvZmjSPuuAKF3gn4j3o-Flk8zZaFzIreRHU9FKR675-sD-w8VjziO3TThr4cI_Bz2gcwgUUV8aYOb11tidG4WX0GgaGw/s320/msw+003.jpg" border="0" /></a>And, she was right. It wasn't the pushing, shoving, hair yanking smackdown that the Koigu booth at MSW usually is, but a leisurely, loving fingering of the Koigu, the thoughtful mixing of colors, and an all around good time. I definitely need to have more faith in people, or at least in knitters.<br /><br />And how did I do on my goals? From a knitter's prospective, very well, perfect. From a homeowner, whose boyfriend is moving in, with lot's of house projects underway, and who is supposed to be saving money, um . . . I went a tad over budget. Armed with my Ravelry queue, I pretty much went straight down my list - it was so easy, that I think I traveled too far down the list - I mean, wouldn't I have been satisfied with two sweater quantity purchases, instead of three? Or maybe I wouldn't.<br /><br />The bus ride down was lovely - I was a little worried, being bus captain and all, but there was no fighting over the blueberry muffins, no squabbling over the raffles, no anxious knitters hassling the bus driver to go faster faster faster, everyone was perfect. And, it was so relaxing pulling into the lot, and not having the pressure of racing to the koigu mosh pit. I had my destination starred, and underlined - and off Kate and I went to Fiber Company in booth 2.<br /><br />Fiber Company had set up a little forum on Ravelry, announcing what yarns she was bringing to MSW. I had asked her about the Terra, a merino/baby alpaca blend, with the most fabulous color palette. She didn't think she would have sweater quantity of any one color - but since I was planning on Fair Isling, I kept my fingers crossed. And, I wasn't disappointed - 9 Skeins of mint, and 4 other colors to do this 4/inch bohus inspired pullover: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1hSWYBaYPJuxc2uIAhwqjbrKktlEJFLwL9BOTHxx8xL2oSpcpJ7rMQ1SnvVkCsCmVUXmcti-amQi5-2UUo3sJdiw7MMfyxAx8Sf7faOxsu3MEONLsB8v08kyPnXAV0zOjeN8Rg/s1600-h/litelopi.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196903828604439682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1hSWYBaYPJuxc2uIAhwqjbrKktlEJFLwL9BOTHxx8xL2oSpcpJ7rMQ1SnvVkCsCmVUXmcti-amQi5-2UUo3sJdiw7MMfyxAx8Sf7faOxsu3MEONLsB8v08kyPnXAV0zOjeN8Rg/s320/litelopi.jpg" border="0" /></a>, Norah Gaughan's Lite Lopi Pullover from Interweave Knits. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4wL8YEIB_sLaSl4sieyhQpPADqKh6wtX0lvQ4hyphenhyphenFBRUm_IGRhSeyl5sVzTy61793kGNuUmLDCIITsTtmuBq1xnfD7LBRaxnPb0hVOA4CQYKr0WpjxzbOpbwSbK_8aXq1fSQQdg/s1600-h/msw+023.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196898438420483026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4wL8YEIB_sLaSl4sieyhQpPADqKh6wtX0lvQ4hyphenhyphenFBRUm_IGRhSeyl5sVzTy61793kGNuUmLDCIITsTtmuBq1xnfD7LBRaxnPb0hVOA4CQYKr0WpjxzbOpbwSbK_8aXq1fSQQdg/s320/msw+023.jpg" border="0" /></a> As you can see, I've already cast-on, so this will be my first post-MSW project - don't worry, I have every intention of working on the Starmore - it's sooooo close to being steekable. Because the bottom of the pullover is straight stockinette for 15 inches, this is now my carry around knitting, since Starmore has reached a stage of nonportability.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZnMPf3twB664WOa1awUWfQihlVgy4Bhyphenhyphen8JrxevXUp8UsqgZGwzbLwhZOzI4_0NtX0daZRSLwsCeUGgEmnEhqIh5takLQ_BS08fZwXEOFJW1qhLUfQpqHkfZThWHiVqJwxN-Fsw/s1600-h/msw+022.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196899988903677042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZnMPf3twB664WOa1awUWfQihlVgy4Bhyphenhyphen8JrxevXUp8UsqgZGwzbLwhZOzI4_0NtX0daZRSLwsCeUGgEmnEhqIh5takLQ_BS08fZwXEOFJW1qhLUfQpqHkfZThWHiVqJwxN-Fsw/s320/msw+022.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnotwoCb5bWt9AQTTJity1JvVwWgcuNUp5UKW9szkQinGG1KgJvmxoGPCFC1rpLcZ46HNoR-tgNSTrPOSU1Lc4YFREZfsvyUrRBWw-H0CoSM-1T3Bv_FHWh0yzsWIAol8mYDvMBQ/s1600-h/msw+024.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196898309571464130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnotwoCb5bWt9AQTTJity1JvVwWgcuNUp5UKW9szkQinGG1KgJvmxoGPCFC1rpLcZ46HNoR-tgNSTrPOSU1Lc4YFREZfsvyUrRBWw-H0CoSM-1T3Bv_FHWh0yzsWIAol8mYDvMBQ/s320/msw+024.jpg" border="0" /></a> And, just look at these colors! I can't wait to get to the yoke and see what magic happens! Who needs a magic wand when you have addi turbos??<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hXSLC4-y5Xsuiesin8YLFqX-yqsIx5gZdDfQu6hkCit25X42zH7xFTLPo0bf3535bL05ZU7IpTXOFBhRkzg20cGSEyYDBqr0sN4u3HDk3v5ypvTfVRyxBnlhhLaYUfJLnQR92Q/s1600-h/msw+028.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196898193607347122" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hXSLC4-y5Xsuiesin8YLFqX-yqsIx5gZdDfQu6hkCit25X42zH7xFTLPo0bf3535bL05ZU7IpTXOFBhRkzg20cGSEyYDBqr0sN4u3HDk3v5ypvTfVRyxBnlhhLaYUfJLnQR92Q/s320/msw+028.jpg" border="0" /></a> As you can see, the yarn is of the thick/thin variety - and it feels like butter! The texture really makes the subtle color changes pop, and really, there's no store bought sweater that will ever compare to the character of this yarn.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then, right on schedule, and according to my grand plan, we walked across to building 4, directly across the walkway, to Green Mountain Spinnery, and I bought my yarn for Coraline:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgld_BzqwsLj9kDQkY7jsJXra1Hnxu7PYZ-MhrhAOzf_hGUeOg6Q5m-E8R1E7e1HqhyphenhyphenAZO6Y9OV_CbdwH3H8Hj1iHbEMfdUPC1Kz-gJH81PA4hGhvfyZf2fvnYxYmP2DiTHx0VnTA/s1600-h/msw+015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196898043283491746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgld_BzqwsLj9kDQkY7jsJXra1Hnxu7PYZ-MhrhAOzf_hGUeOg6Q5m-E8R1E7e1HqhyphenhyphenAZO6Y9OV_CbdwH3H8Hj1iHbEMfdUPC1Kz-gJH81PA4hGhvfyZf2fvnYxYmP2DiTHx0VnTA/s320/msw+015.jpg" border="0" /></a> Alpaca Elegance in a heathery, charcoal grey.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPub1HP6VrglimAVHDF557Mw_cBjLbr2wWhGVGgaD1pcphrRmP2bakRfk_g89HC2jmhn0Ez-EswRhyphenhyphenfzmlKO2sZCMgb1IPJp7mUnMsFO8v4YpT6HOB_V0WgVyyWvtnokIVguwwg/s1600-h/msw+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196897953089178514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPub1HP6VrglimAVHDF557Mw_cBjLbr2wWhGVGgaD1pcphrRmP2bakRfk_g89HC2jmhn0Ez-EswRhyphenhyphenfzmlKO2sZCMgb1IPJp7mUnMsFO8v4YpT6HOB_V0WgVyyWvtnokIVguwwg/s320/msw+016.jpg" border="0" /></a> And, a free tote bag to take the sting out of the bill.<br /><br />And then I thought, huh, thanks to all of my meticulously planning, within 15 minutes, I had dropped $200, had 2 sweater's worth of yarn, and frankly, at that moment in time, I thought I was done. I could have been done, I was so happy. But, I wasn't . . .<br /><br />In the Fiber Company building, I ran into authoress, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Knit-So-Fine-Designs-Skinny/dp/1596680520/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210000178&sr=8-1">Laura</a>, and she had purchased 2 skeins of Shetland from Davidsons, in the Main Barn. Kate and I were off - and I bought 2 skeins, for the Bird in Hand mittens and a matching hat a la my Anemoi inspired combo: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxzpp8GDIm_bc28lPwzjxbLtCff8-FPXP9Q4ZjduheIhOPiUymxA2qawsaGRUXDzXPBR3TEg14fBZKuHs2yI1f9vT7zwm8D51hf8Qsg8hyw9L7EZNgtMJcGxFr7IUWWeOSKuL_Q/s1600-h/msw+018.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196897695391140738" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxzpp8GDIm_bc28lPwzjxbLtCff8-FPXP9Q4ZjduheIhOPiUymxA2qawsaGRUXDzXPBR3TEg14fBZKuHs2yI1f9vT7zwm8D51hf8Qsg8hyw9L7EZNgtMJcGxFr7IUWWeOSKuL_Q/s320/msw+018.jpg" border="0" /></a> The Bird in Hand mittens were originally worked with Cascade 220, but the gauge is sport to fingering, depending on the size, so I think this yarn will work out fine, and I won't have to struggle with worsted weight on 1's. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fyt396yJgNs7wb-cKrRL1Cr6vR6CG264tRMr_xyk3LJ4lZpLovWVoOZRwaWZEFrmUEyQBLlYuaP9MEHsZhu-LZ1Hdc4on92AT2ci_9XUL_TMaYOYVP04exXMrbVASElNA13fjA/s1600-h/msw+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196899323183746114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fyt396yJgNs7wb-cKrRL1Cr6vR6CG264tRMr_xyk3LJ4lZpLovWVoOZRwaWZEFrmUEyQBLlYuaP9MEHsZhu-LZ1Hdc4on92AT2ci_9XUL_TMaYOYVP04exXMrbVASElNA13fjA/s320/msw+005.jpg" border="0" /></a> <br />The purchasing over, so I thought, it was time for lunch. There's something really sick and disturbing about eating lamb at a Sheep and Wool festival, a celebration of living and breathing livestock, but whatever, it's yummy, and, for my Rhinebeck partner, Kate and I, it's becoming somewhat of a tradition. Thanks for the Gyro's, our fine, woolly friends<br /><br />And then it was off to Camp Bach, for some socializing, chips with cheese and fresh squeezed lemonade! <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNjDdo_G0NSXDZx0YkFqA2NLGp7N2YZX4TCwxd6KMgSoliGdaJzuW7uY04ciRD81z_eKuiBZlWCr5BSQy8ZplxLxE7QsBGpivjHRu_v4vCiPVZ38QCAnrtEzWwkZfSh3d0CgKGQ/s1600-h/msw+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196899215809563698" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNjDdo_G0NSXDZx0YkFqA2NLGp7N2YZX4TCwxd6KMgSoliGdaJzuW7uY04ciRD81z_eKuiBZlWCr5BSQy8ZplxLxE7QsBGpivjHRu_v4vCiPVZ38QCAnrtEzWwkZfSh3d0CgKGQ/s320/msw+009.jpg" border="0" /></a> <br /><br />It's never too early to start 'em knitting!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBU8ns0bTUXcmBc0x0-hE6WslNSxdijoxLHIKUB29-nPlyi0K493tWGVmvZ2Ia6gGvkLSDlPj3XotXW2g8ckYd4juD8TxRqfKPY4HVwkEJMam42MGkmlM3HAkL_m_LfWy_4ATGA/s1600-h/msw+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196899117025315874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBU8ns0bTUXcmBc0x0-hE6WslNSxdijoxLHIKUB29-nPlyi0K493tWGVmvZ2Ia6gGvkLSDlPj3XotXW2g8ckYd4juD8TxRqfKPY4HVwkEJMam42MGkmlM3HAkL_m_LfWy_4ATGA/s320/msw+011.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1VuC1Jtw54wHr1N1-tWVNJJBPjYxjL-TOP7KINUJaU4Yao_Ev1LCC3UEXDLjjhqtsmW9Mk4wBIIJ1wAndmdRURLE63yo07bZ1QbTkhPfYcNpBNuKpsEIcgM3ZAPR_kOrXqHtbg/s1600-h/msw+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196899009651133458" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1VuC1Jtw54wHr1N1-tWVNJJBPjYxjL-TOP7KINUJaU4Yao_Ev1LCC3UEXDLjjhqtsmW9Mk4wBIIJ1wAndmdRURLE63yo07bZ1QbTkhPfYcNpBNuKpsEIcgM3ZAPR_kOrXqHtbg/s320/msw+010.jpg" border="0" /></a>I'm not sure to which pooch Knitty D is referring!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUN8ppKUsCg337NAmrhF8Pzs3Qmhxs8A3YwEiazCiryYmlk-IQ_Tm56apoWCI5Yzlp66fiX8EVdQSyYZnovI0eyQ7gaUnPo_PZnqWQzgoKZ0nxexS-czjNc4jQFoU4Z_Zrk3RTw/s1600-h/msw+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196898777722899458" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUN8ppKUsCg337NAmrhF8Pzs3Qmhxs8A3YwEiazCiryYmlk-IQ_Tm56apoWCI5Yzlp66fiX8EVdQSyYZnovI0eyQ7gaUnPo_PZnqWQzgoKZ0nxexS-czjNc4jQFoU4Z_Zrk3RTw/s320/msw+006.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBujeypDGJhqpbq_F6Mzd8fLAezS9B9Dfr2_B6QFXAcaved6i_6vMidpdhgmyMgaEfDT4iAxZdLHS19sf1szM1Kf176PKQ2tafaMZMB8czd2qNK-bEfwMNb6OR0DlnUD1f2BNLFQ/s1600-h/msw+012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196898666053749746" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBujeypDGJhqpbq_F6Mzd8fLAezS9B9Dfr2_B6QFXAcaved6i_6vMidpdhgmyMgaEfDT4iAxZdLHS19sf1szM1Kf176PKQ2tafaMZMB8czd2qNK-bEfwMNb6OR0DlnUD1f2BNLFQ/s320/msw+012.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Welcome back Robin and Ronnen! Thank goodness there's no sheep whatsoever in the entire state of California, and we can look forward to seeing you every year at MSW!<br /><br />And for those of you who have never camped at Camp Bach, Camp Bach is just a hop and a little skip from Brooks Farm. This year, Brooks Farm was not not not part of my plan. I already have 3 sweaters of Four Play, and I just thought, I'll branch out. I had intended to buy yarn for Mrs. Darcy at Shadyside Farm, in the Main Building. Shadyside, however, only brought spinning goods, no yarn, so Mrs. Darcy remained unyarned. So, how could I resist when I saw this new-to-me Brooks Farm Tierra - a 70% Lambswool, 30% alpaca blend????? <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTmyTvywQLfgNA0BIaCT0JeCMVEt8D5eDcm6YmVpTvOuVz3pyHL8AqD5tyALZzsCUwzQyKEAPPK8QFPKtHXVxzAQwmg5BCdbWF6u1HON3GFXn7Kj0oKbeB_Y-87dgQ_pdi2SSTg/s1600-h/msw+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196898554384600034" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTmyTvywQLfgNA0BIaCT0JeCMVEt8D5eDcm6YmVpTvOuVz3pyHL8AqD5tyALZzsCUwzQyKEAPPK8QFPKtHXVxzAQwmg5BCdbWF6u1HON3GFXn7Kj0oKbeB_Y-87dgQ_pdi2SSTg/s320/msw+007.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LW7XhiELHh38cK9h-ckYBmDKOIKAd0AfUvrUXav7qzLRFjBFpJLi1PgfKcfi7TjfL8XG3hRJytb5MBjhcVGdax6mJAx6RGa9zywpTtuPQEQHVR8q6VFhXb4ZKMhRFgclMdhCPA/s1600-h/msw+025.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196897527887416178" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LW7XhiELHh38cK9h-ckYBmDKOIKAd0AfUvrUXav7qzLRFjBFpJLi1PgfKcfi7TjfL8XG3hRJytb5MBjhcVGdax6mJAx6RGa9zywpTtuPQEQHVR8q6VFhXb4ZKMhRFgclMdhCPA/s320/msw+025.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKE2uaCZrV-u-fgVlET65iZuF17YsdxnifwFTj50mtZuZPHaqDtJDNkOAS9igvI1mcvOdSBGqCDpXusAewgUzzmQPJKDrvxEVBjtlsxYWF2h5dKHVwMHTAwKbDFQAyAnXn21Xv2w/s1600-h/msw+027.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196891373199280994" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKE2uaCZrV-u-fgVlET65iZuF17YsdxnifwFTj50mtZuZPHaqDtJDNkOAS9igvI1mcvOdSBGqCDpXusAewgUzzmQPJKDrvxEVBjtlsxYWF2h5dKHVwMHTAwKbDFQAyAnXn21Xv2w/s320/msw+027.jpg" border="0" /></a> In the face of this yummy, rasberry colored yarn, I succumbed, and made my last yarn purchase of the day.<br /><br />I say last yarn, because I wasn't quite done buying. To round out the day, I bought Sweaters from Camp, at the Mannings. You can still get this book on the Schoolhouse Press website, and on Amazon, but Schoolhouse Press warns that it's going out of print, so better get it now! <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBt-9klN21ZzB-VHLsI5z0OITr1S2P7EWwuFSF3J7WMOSPkN9eRSIsTEq5R1EOHQEMaQbgfLG0IOzlJRt3up80i3n9ptS8yMkz_e4WnmGzJIsPFmzgSjjHPXnUOkwgnRYg_Qong/s1600-h/msw+030.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196891218580458322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBt-9klN21ZzB-VHLsI5z0OITr1S2P7EWwuFSF3J7WMOSPkN9eRSIsTEq5R1EOHQEMaQbgfLG0IOzlJRt3up80i3n9ptS8yMkz_e4WnmGzJIsPFmzgSjjHPXnUOkwgnRYg_Qong/s320/msw+030.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And, perhaps my favorite purchase of the day:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPu7DcWN_ot6whkDkDunrgVek7lB3u6SKscNvElpnJ6rwcYG1c3FTesBgJqzi3Jqo3_rOWUXr4CbKVlj3t4cvl1ivSxQNCFTglb78iGucVYaOFh_f8ggFLSASQt8QJ4yPdu6AmA/s1600-h/msw+014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196891033896864578" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPu7DcWN_ot6whkDkDunrgVek7lB3u6SKscNvElpnJ6rwcYG1c3FTesBgJqzi3Jqo3_rOWUXr4CbKVlj3t4cvl1ivSxQNCFTglb78iGucVYaOFh_f8ggFLSASQt8QJ4yPdu6AmA/s320/msw+014.jpg" border="0" /></a> This is the closest "livestock" will get to 1639 - and isn't little sheepy welcoming!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3NNqmgC21PbRjnwaXb2-jzHIahYfNEziRh1WU-dOCo8CNBC65Kq0p9RvIzx7_ujxl_cUHbcpL4I8K5KAKverQ60k65M7v9DEGMQNE2qW9S7Mtloli6DkgjpUFDqwQhuZtaDQoA/s1600-h/msw+035.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196890767608892210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3NNqmgC21PbRjnwaXb2-jzHIahYfNEziRh1WU-dOCo8CNBC65Kq0p9RvIzx7_ujxl_cUHbcpL4I8K5KAKverQ60k65M7v9DEGMQNE2qW9S7Mtloli6DkgjpUFDqwQhuZtaDQoA/s320/msw+035.jpg" border="0" /></a> So that's it - until next year!Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-52221635207216440452008-05-02T10:58:00.000-07:002008-11-13T06:33:34.831-08:00Count Down!How many hours until we get our sheep on???? <br /><br />I started out blase, eh, whatever, it's Sheep and Wool again, just another yarnie thing. Then, I started nosing around Ravelry . . . hmmmmm . . . and then Rosie's got pounds and pounds of Koigu millends (which staff was not allowed to break into, by the way - whoever shows up tomorrow at the crack of dawn will have first dibs - wouldn't it be really funny if there were a line outside the shop at 6 a.m.???? It'd be better than Madonna!), and then, like a thunderclap, bam, it hit - IT'S TIME FOR MARYLAND SHEEP AND WOOL!!!!!!!<br /><br />So, all week, I've been carefully planning my shopping list. Inspired by Kate's <a href="http://zeitgeistyarns.blogspot.com/2008/01/cold-hands-warm-heart.html">Cold Hands, Warm Heart Sweater</a>, I focused on sweaters that I felt would look good in old fashioned yarnie yarn. Kate's sweater is knit in Green Mountain Spinnery, which I always stared at longingly, but honestly thought it was on the expensive side. This year, no Koigu for me - I am spending my money on the Mountain, and completely copying Kate with their <a href="http://www.spinnery.com/products.php?cat=40">Alpaca Elegance</a>to make this <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24liuBlyESzp3PQ-ORrVbR3dwtbdHymDj84teX0n6D8zvc4G3_CTUC-rCemiAhnekvJWvVH8T1f2KBXQ48mNIbVTxJszMDVhvTuZddteHVXlxckJPZDIpR6qU40ILset6BmB6jg/s1600-h/coraline2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24liuBlyESzp3PQ-ORrVbR3dwtbdHymDj84teX0n6D8zvc4G3_CTUC-rCemiAhnekvJWvVH8T1f2KBXQ48mNIbVTxJszMDVhvTuZddteHVXlxckJPZDIpR6qU40ILset6BmB6jg/s320/coraline2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195854164367100706" /></a>, <a href="http://ysolda.com/store/sweaters/coraline/">Coraline</a> from <a href="http://ysolda.com/store/sweaters/coraline/">Ysolda Teague</a>. I wanted a simple sweater, with detailing that would show off the yarn, but not overwhelm it. And, while I love my Tangled Yoke, I wanted something a bit less commercial, something that's not yet in everyone's closet. <br /><br />And, can I tell you how easy it was to narrow down my shopping goals with Ravelry's help. The ability to call up everyone's stab at a pattern, with accompanying commentary, criticism, and errata, as well as modifications and personal touches, was invaluable. So many patterns that looked attractive in magazines, were total failures in actuality - and, while kind of sad, were someone else's disappointment, not to be mine because they were generous enough to share their oopsies, mistakes, and bad ideas. <br /><br />And did you know you can print your Ravelry queue? And, not only will you get the picture, you'll get the recommended yarn, the gauge and your own notes. Fantastic! <br /><br />Of course, all of this careful planning, budgeting and strategizing could easily go out the window if I fall madly in love with something completely not on my radar . . . like last year's Hunt Valley Cashmere, which turned into this year's uncompletely scarf, and languishing in the stash. <br /><br />But for now, I've printed out my fairground map, annotated it with what vendor is in what building, and what yarn they have, according to their website. I can guarantee (cough cough - obviously, there's no guarantee, knowing me . . . but I can try) I am not buying sock yarn, nor laceweight. Here are my good intentions - 1. Green Mountain for my Coraline 2. Shadyside Farm (see my Wicked) for either a. <a href="http://indieknits.wordpress.com/patterns-2/patterns/">the Mrs. Darcy Cardigan</a>. b. <a href="http://www.knitty.com/issuewinter05/PATTforecast.html">Forecast</a> from Knitty, or c. the Elizbeth Bennet Cabled Cardigan from Fitted Knits (basically, Forecast without the baubles), possibly fingering weight/shetland for something from bohus Poems in Color, and finally, to satisfy that urge that used to be tamed with buying a skein of sock yarn, small quantities of yarn for mittens from Selbuvotter and Latvian mittens. I'll check back in over the weekend to see how close I came to my goals.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37_eTGMXHSuoNzeSnw8o-SX-9bbxt-K5ZvZ9Bgqjq9kggM1YNtK6s_gNnSeclcfTfxIP3r6ZIJM_BXPHrWeaQ_iI9Ql7hyOz5cMluQ8bs7NXJnpsufzXWRO45hMmO4xNf4_ZBbw/s1600-h/starmore+032.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37_eTGMXHSuoNzeSnw8o-SX-9bbxt-K5ZvZ9Bgqjq9kggM1YNtK6s_gNnSeclcfTfxIP3r6ZIJM_BXPHrWeaQ_iI9Ql7hyOz5cMluQ8bs7NXJnpsufzXWRO45hMmO4xNf4_ZBbw/s320/starmore+032.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195841966659980034" /></a><br />And of course, this morning, I got out the old Rosie's bag, and my saved change. What bag, what bag - a decision that needs to be made today, not at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow morning. The Rosie's bag - old school, nostaglic, has gone on the road to many a yarn festival. Tried and true, but wearing out. The new knitting bag - a more comfortable shoulder strap, larger - but harder to maneuver in crowds. The decision still hangs in the balance.<br /><br />And the change, Mr. Tall and I visited Little Penny bright and early this morning. He scoffed at my little jar, and guessed only $29.37, and voila - $83.47 - the perfect amount - enough to purchase the yarn I need for Coraline!<br /><br />In the meantime, knitting did go along with planning this week - here's my progress on the Starmore. The armhole steeks are in, and only three inches to go to start the neck shaping. Whoo -- approximately two more repeats of the chart to go!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vZoABVkTWijzssmK6RC_GEC5uv-XBVHOiMCobtCGfNgjSJNrebjXRKUCK9JMhjIyqN-ZHES_Tpii6R2aV-QLgt6iJGYgBIj9zKYWrQ_iRdOYu18RHLAE8FPs54hWlSS0qnJcGg/s1600-h/starmore+034.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vZoABVkTWijzssmK6RC_GEC5uv-XBVHOiMCobtCGfNgjSJNrebjXRKUCK9JMhjIyqN-ZHES_Tpii6R2aV-QLgt6iJGYgBIj9zKYWrQ_iRdOYu18RHLAE8FPs54hWlSS0qnJcGg/s320/starmore+034.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195841867875732210" /></a><br /><br />And just in case you were wondering about the Manos Blanket of Madness - here it is, still growing - only 12 more blocks to go!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2p8cVLP_DjrY4919_kg_JtWIdqc_jwMEVbSZeOmlrIfifBhWMtUZV1j8BS4ugtggu_GA7jtul2FxJtOCJHGAr_URPDZdkEke5n50Kqsf5RtRS0QL7a5aGSkC_n4GSAL-AQaLisg/s1600-h/starmore+036.jpg"><img style="float:center; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2p8cVLP_DjrY4919_kg_JtWIdqc_jwMEVbSZeOmlrIfifBhWMtUZV1j8BS4ugtggu_GA7jtul2FxJtOCJHGAr_URPDZdkEke5n50Kqsf5RtRS0QL7a5aGSkC_n4GSAL-AQaLisg/s320/starmore+036.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195841734731746018" /></a> I have no idea why there's a white blip on one of the blue squares - all is well in real life.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-65707818464453237112008-04-24T08:41:00.000-07:002008-11-13T06:33:35.190-08:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi70klq-RDY_8Q7trvKIWjCBL4ON87bFUca5EUE0n06ZpoADy1Eks0VBL2HMRVY6b2swS4urZwUQBUYYWaYjzXtrzYFftn75eX4cKpxwz37CEFQBGPgS2IMKH5BZ0B7rBHgJR8_Q/s1600-h/starmore+026.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi70klq-RDY_8Q7trvKIWjCBL4ON87bFUca5EUE0n06ZpoADy1Eks0VBL2HMRVY6b2swS4urZwUQBUYYWaYjzXtrzYFftn75eX4cKpxwz37CEFQBGPgS2IMKH5BZ0B7rBHgJR8_Q/s320/starmore+026.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192838002108648130" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMASXL0PBzkpDDt1D47OBOgAtpOxp8UMCX7xXfir9IODWUB2AJ0xckTU2s9bzzKwvnMD8Xo0Zq12lJS0yvSObm1lkNyc754lQUiN_3rVzi55ACdE5l6m7IDZKY1Hhj18vcJyufA/s1600-h/starmore+028.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMASXL0PBzkpDDt1D47OBOgAtpOxp8UMCX7xXfir9IODWUB2AJ0xckTU2s9bzzKwvnMD8Xo0Zq12lJS0yvSObm1lkNyc754lQUiN_3rVzi55ACdE5l6m7IDZKY1Hhj18vcJyufA/s320/starmore+028.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192838371475835602" /></a><br /><br />Normally, getting a packet of oh-so-pretty yarn would make me happy - but when that yarn arrives in an office that is over 90 degrees, even looking at the unopened package made me a little lightheaded. And, opening it up at home, I was still antsy about touching the wooly wool - you see, the airconditioning system is not working at my office - but the heat is working just fine. We're all sitting in the dark, and individual air conditioning units are in the hallways, blowing hot air around, since we can't open the windows. Yesterday someone passed out; the day before someone went home with heart palpatations. And, it's going to be this way until Tuesday. <br /><br />So, while I know that deep down I'm really really excited about my next Starmore project - the above Roscalie Vest that I ordered from Virtual Yarns, and arrived at my swelting doorstep within a week and a half, I can barely touch the yarn - or any yarn for that matter. Knitting, due to unbearable weather conditions, is at a halt.<br />After a day at the office, all I want is Rita's Waterice, not Shetland, or Manos, or a mukluks, or any other project I have in the queue.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-39683644552507126852008-04-14T07:05:00.000-07:002008-11-13T06:33:35.611-08:00Weekend Progress Report<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2wq28lgbcU7wBqufwMYWcqL42zxWU_sqVn7ndk2bhY2MPN6MVq61Q7ToJboTyGmG5sDmTobeKxmPDiPnMmruRuBPVJl_TGukcKG4c2VqtILc4o-_vNMyh3OZXtRaERTqRcsv/s1600-h/starmore+022.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2wq28lgbcU7wBqufwMYWcqL42zxWU_sqVn7ndk2bhY2MPN6MVq61Q7ToJboTyGmG5sDmTobeKxmPDiPnMmruRuBPVJl_TGukcKG4c2VqtILc4o-_vNMyh3OZXtRaERTqRcsv/s320/starmore+022.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189100528570752210" /></a> So . . . it's, um, an interesting interpretation of the original,yes? I mean, really, if you were going to repaint the Mona Lisa, wouldn't you spruce her up a bit? Maybe give her a red dress? <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8Vk3tZ3TBSdp6aSmqHoiL9ktXuFtAeIDLnEtaL9-CsMZ_49yzxiaJ8Yg_R0eBUS4jsTCpArMK-zsgTBcQngqRV7uDPmVaYgrrUuTvJl-b-D_uNjZl9O1qOARTLd6ZtWWKtvd/s1600-h/starmore+023.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8Vk3tZ3TBSdp6aSmqHoiL9ktXuFtAeIDLnEtaL9-CsMZ_49yzxiaJ8Yg_R0eBUS4jsTCpArMK-zsgTBcQngqRV7uDPmVaYgrrUuTvJl-b-D_uNjZl9O1qOARTLd6ZtWWKtvd/s320/starmore+023.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189100343887158466" /></a> Mine is definitely more . . . pink. The purples are pinker, the lights are lighter, the overall tone is more jeweltoned, as opposed to classic Thoroughbred horsey colors. <br /><br />The preparation for the knitting was definitely more difficult than the knitting itself. There's a five stitch motif that's repeated twenty-two times on each side of the star thing in the center. I spent alot of pre-knitting time with the chart -- changing the legend over and over as I changed which Spindrift's would substitute for which J&S's. So the chart, which at first seemed to be as incomprehensible with it's 17 different color symbols as a Greek menu, became as easy to read as a newspaper. You can see above I have a lot of markers in - this is completely unnecessary if you are capable of counting to five, but I like them - it makes the knitting even more machinelike, completely nonchart dependent. I think of the star in the middle as like a gymnastic tumbling pass - one long stretch of 47 stitches. Sometimes, as I'm going across that part of the chart, I even have a commentary running in my mind accompanying it - yes! she stuck that landing! Lot's of little things going on in my head that make this an entertaining knit.<br /><br />And, anyone who thinks you can't do fair isle if you can't knit with yarn in both your hands, think again. Above is one repeat of the 32 row pattern, plus a little bit of the second repeat. I started it last Wednesday - I'd say I'm motoring along with my one-handed, pick and throw, work. I can actually carry the yarn in both hands, but, surprisingly, I just find this way works better for me - especially in the Kaffe, when you're managing three colors per row.<br /><br />Below, I pondered whether my Kaffe was really still a Kaffe, and Lisa dubbed it "Kaffier than Kaffe." I'm not sure what I'm supposed to call this thing - now that I've switched up the colors, indeed, it's not really close to the original at all at this point. A Starmore, if you go by the designer's intent - is a marriage of pattern, color and yarn - and I've only got one of the three. Maybe it's now a Starmore*, with fine print reminding the blog reader that's it not quite an authentic Starmore - kind of a Starmore knockoff. <br /><br />If anyone is interested in knitting a true, honest to goodness Starmore, <a href="http://www.virtualyarns.com">Virtual Yarns</a> is supposedly updating their website sometime this week, and many of the kits that were sold out should be restocked. If you aren't so much into authenticity, and are willing to pick your own colors, check out your local libraries. Philadelphia County unfortunately doesn't have any of the fair isle books - but there are four copies of The Art of Fair Isle in Bucks County - my dad checked one out for me over the weekend, so I should be able to peruse it over Passover. And, of course, there's ebay - this pattern is in Vogue, Fall 1989, and I think you can still get all of the original J&S colors, I just chose to work with what we had a Rosie's. <br /><br />And those colors that I bought at Rosie's that didn't find a home here - I think they'll end up in that Eunny Jang vest, I forget what it's called. Although, I'm not sure if I'll ever find a home for that neon purple Aubrelita.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-67865349870649682002008-04-10T06:29:00.000-07:002008-11-13T06:33:36.696-08:00Starmore, Take 2!Armed with my color photos from Ravelry of finished Thoroughbreds, I reassessed my assault on the Shetland yarn at Rosie's. Out went Pistachio, Aubrelita, Shetland Black, Old Gold, Pine Forest, Scotch Broom and Sandalwood, in - <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbcOLmBn44sRRnuQ6LwpIfoc11vkX_dpAePZknHP3gQnKznXP9R9HLM-dvi7EAM565PJfaZglT85OwdZAEys4es403X_CbBuBzix2hIr5JzyUN1HpocKFCkBHGFhXb2SyMbjUjkg/s1600-h/starmore+019.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187611430303140834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbcOLmBn44sRRnuQ6LwpIfoc11vkX_dpAePZknHP3gQnKznXP9R9HLM-dvi7EAM565PJfaZglT85OwdZAEys4es403X_CbBuBzix2hIr5JzyUN1HpocKFCkBHGFhXb2SyMbjUjkg/s320/starmore+019.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_w9VF-ZLtkSHxBfvfFA6AIGKj6JQOvEuAl5LzmJH2f-ACzEUOi8_YT-tsC4-ejgt3Ydt4BZIwqtkzGKO9Rfaot3jrzLmLsA77tURm3UTsSRAcyxavs9kTdD2wSnSifcehTva9DQ/s1600-h/starmore+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187609282819492802" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_w9VF-ZLtkSHxBfvfFA6AIGKj6JQOvEuAl5LzmJH2f-ACzEUOi8_YT-tsC4-ejgt3Ydt4BZIwqtkzGKO9Rfaot3jrzLmLsA77tURm3UTsSRAcyxavs9kTdD2wSnSifcehTva9DQ/s320/starmore+016.jpg" border="0" /></a> Dusk, Bramble, a Rowan Scottish 4 Ply in Magenta, Peat, Thistledown, Turf, Mint, Mooskit, Willow, Dog Rose, Sand, Lemon, Amber, a Drops Alpaca in a burnt orange, Sunrise and Scarlet.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZqJt9A9ha0GyoeOP5g0cQVDNlurWW0uLVudQ8JlndXApXxsOjfrPUpHf0WOp674u2lg3I8G_LpdW8RppPVl0Wikb2q_Tv89nY5ejQ9OTeNcxXTrr-ZeplKgetuEKGXSHpiszjA/s1600-h/starmore+015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187612413850651634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZqJt9A9ha0GyoeOP5g0cQVDNlurWW0uLVudQ8JlndXApXxsOjfrPUpHf0WOp674u2lg3I8G_LpdW8RppPVl0Wikb2q_Tv89nY5ejQ9OTeNcxXTrr-ZeplKgetuEKGXSHpiszjA/s320/starmore+015.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And here is the newest incarnation of Thorougbreds. I'm much happier with the Magenta. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKh_NNhJ2IlIYJYs94YCXqKeXDz4nxRgLK3hSYnSe3WBCWz2gkZfihpdqdv1YaaFAMtBAorQMhSTQobp08EaqznjvBGysqYd6ybGc3W-l9esaxYCREVrC3HwIdsGH6uic40dE2Q/s1600-h/starmore+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187609050891258802" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKh_NNhJ2IlIYJYs94YCXqKeXDz4nxRgLK3hSYnSe3WBCWz2gkZfihpdqdv1YaaFAMtBAorQMhSTQobp08EaqznjvBGysqYd6ybGc3W-l9esaxYCREVrC3HwIdsGH6uic40dE2Q/s320/starmore+011.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95leMOCHSUPaPlr60Xu4XzEW9jpjuX9Yq3c61sB3AloYxLN33w4MFKR4icGjASReWb2i7ApaZZcnsmU7Rty1hQLzpUcHFvFLBxHUtRS_HPEnnNyIwuljQg6QrwlPxtqyHjCZa6g/s1600-h/starmore+013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187608827552959394" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95leMOCHSUPaPlr60Xu4XzEW9jpjuX9Yq3c61sB3AloYxLN33w4MFKR4icGjASReWb2i7ApaZZcnsmU7Rty1hQLzpUcHFvFLBxHUtRS_HPEnnNyIwuljQg6QrwlPxtqyHjCZa6g/s320/starmore+013.jpg" border="0" /></a> So, from the bottom to the top - On the bottom is Dusk - which in the original was Blueberry - but I only have 1 skein of Blueberry and the pattern calls for 2 of that color - so I'll have to live with Dusk. Next - Pistashio, a sage green, has turned into Willow, a pale, minty green. The blueberry/purple Aubrelita is now the Rowan 4 Ply Magenta, paired with DogRose, which in the 1st take was Thistledown. Next is a pairing of Peat and Lemon, which was Shetland Black and Scotch Broom. Now here's where I may have messed up again, but I think I'm going to live with it - I have a Rowan 4 Ply walnutty color and Amber - I forget what it was before - Amber and something. I think this Amber may be too dark - the next progression is Sunrise, is a rusty color - and at knitting circle we lined up all the colors, along with the colors that will be on the side, and everything seems to read well. So, here's where it's going to look significantly different than the original, but I'm going to go with it. Unlike that blueberry/purple color that was so wrong yesterday - I don't hate the amber, and I like the Sunrise - not pictured above. So I'm sure Alice would have a cow, but this is a Wendy production.<br /><br />And for Marissa - thanks so much for the use of your pastry gadgets - here's the racetrack cake we made for Mr. Tall's Grandpop's birthday -<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwS4yBZj4QDjLx2En3Ae_AeLZLX5x4gmJgdlGqsfWVkGHf5Zko6Rd8Zptg61D5yk1slwJJFyHAlswgSs_U92TMi88h2uPcUmu-7lu1tz7_BSHf8YitKu0vI-T-5XlKC1cOufcJw/s1600-h/starmore+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187608410941131650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwS4yBZj4QDjLx2En3Ae_AeLZLX5x4gmJgdlGqsfWVkGHf5Zko6Rd8Zptg61D5yk1slwJJFyHAlswgSs_U92TMi88h2uPcUmu-7lu1tz7_BSHf8YitKu0vI-T-5XlKC1cOufcJw/s320/starmore+010.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It's a chocolate cake, covered in traditional white icing. The "track" is crushed oreos, the grass, green sugar. The street markings are white Good n Plentys, and the white rim - that's the pastry tubing - yum! <br /><br />And the cars - chocolate cars from <a href="http://www.nakedchocolatecafe.com/">Naked Chocolate</a>, the most decadent place in all of Philadelphia - you really could get naked, and dive right into the personal chocolate fondues. Mr. Tall and I went to the Film Festival on Monday night, and beforehand, we went to Naked Chocolate for dessert. Four different sipping chocolates (classic, milk chocolate, Aztec and Spicy), a counterfull of chocolate pastries, and of course, the fondue, served with fruit, cookies, marshmellows, and rice crispie treats - YUMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!! Don't plan to go following a meal - it's way too rich - plan on making it THE meal, and don't skimp - if you're going to go there, forget about the calories, because that would just be silly - there's nothing appropriate for Weight Watchers in this sea of chocolate, peanut butter, carmel, nuts and honey.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-15081439375401716932008-04-09T06:54:00.001-07:002008-11-13T06:33:37.438-08:00Splat!<div align="left">The wait is over - I cast on the Starmore.<br /><br />All of the excitement - winding the yarn, casting on 320 stitches, getting it joined in the round, and then . . . splat! My bubble burst, my balloon popped, my heart sank. And the culprit behind my malaise - THIS SKEIN. </div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_JjuT4jAebQq8Y64vJnueHuv-Fbo5Q8Y6sI-DvwLPECx8DO2pV6Dt6g0GxxBFvdXto8WE851acuvO698e9XewW0GqapiulJxGgaujngeBQaSbHZh_dcqe8xAgkqZdY_MYsV4qUg/s1600-h/starmore+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187244202031437970" style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_JjuT4jAebQq8Y64vJnueHuv-Fbo5Q8Y6sI-DvwLPECx8DO2pV6Dt6g0GxxBFvdXto8WE851acuvO698e9XewW0GqapiulJxGgaujngeBQaSbHZh_dcqe8xAgkqZdY_MYsV4qUg/s320/starmore+008.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="left"><br /><br />I think I mentioned in a previous post that I've been substituting Jamieson and Smith colors for Jamieson Spindrift colors. Did I mention I was doing it without a color card? When I photographed my final picks, and compared them to Thoroughbred stashes on Ravelry, I kind of patted myself, and Courtney, on the back for what a good job we did. Can I tell you - that was a premature pat, that's for sure. Because here's what we did: </div><div align="left"><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqzlgPUWI9xm1n6IZyq50ERBtv8Z4nRHFID3S31lNIiuj4fw-Dxliwp7zeHqbsGLyqN7toyBXmI2ce0Lp6FwJ1KQrkZYBCJDbm0BbZYN2dboIm8wK-4hGbfCkKgYvRMzWPhTYFWg/s1600-h/starmore+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187244004462942338" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqzlgPUWI9xm1n6IZyq50ERBtv8Z4nRHFID3S31lNIiuj4fw-Dxliwp7zeHqbsGLyqN7toyBXmI2ce0Lp6FwJ1KQrkZYBCJDbm0BbZYN2dboIm8wK-4hGbfCkKgYvRMzWPhTYFWg/s320/starmore+009.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center"><br />BLECH!!!! </div><div align="left"><br /><br />That purpley blue thing is just hideous!!! The color called for in the pattern is "Aubergine." I substituted with a color called "Aubrelita." It really is much more purple in person - but the fact that the camera is picking up so much blue tells you what hue of purple it is - and it's awful. I guess one person's Eggplant is another person's Blueberry. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">So, it's back to the old color palette - that particular color, when looking at finished Thoroughbred's on Ravelry, seems to be a purply magenta. There's other tweaking to be done as well. The orange needs to be more orange, rather than the pinky orange that's in there (Sandalwood). Coming up is something called "Wood Heather" that I substituted with Pine Forest. But, looking at finished T's - it's too dark; it needs to be a more of a blue green. Ah well - I'd rather tweek now on the ribbing than in the actual pattern. What about swatching, you ask - good, reasonable question, or course. I did swatch, shocking, but I only swatched in two colors, because I didn't want to break my yarn - I got the last skein of many of these colors, and I swatched in two colors that I know Rosie's has back stock. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Icky icky poo - drat drat drat!</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Ok, enough of that rant - here are a few pics of those fantastic bottlecap buttons --</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvjg3aFRhhs1pQ2OJVGI-bb8c9_oKWnqFYNqj68nbDv_YQ8NLI_FCt80LAfFA1Xic-YQs-oHvTs9uZN3cMXdwq5N3ySV-P4ASzYC6ToJT_ZLKDbpDPcMHnJYjQ7CR6RTmK_4iaw/s1600-h/starmore+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187243858434054258" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvjg3aFRhhs1pQ2OJVGI-bb8c9_oKWnqFYNqj68nbDv_YQ8NLI_FCt80LAfFA1Xic-YQs-oHvTs9uZN3cMXdwq5N3ySV-P4ASzYC6ToJT_ZLKDbpDPcMHnJYjQ7CR6RTmK_4iaw/s320/starmore+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17UHedkeAanSJzIq3RCEsu2WdNTMiIElLGIx01Jcbi6d0QyGbT8Wxc2OWmf-bVolD1GjiPzFDrF17N7CiwJ6wf_uSVI_7fCgLtvtpb9aAJQBpZmc1jqWK6-eIa83qx6yDFx5JAA/s1600-h/starmore+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187243763944773730" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17UHedkeAanSJzIq3RCEsu2WdNTMiIElLGIx01Jcbi6d0QyGbT8Wxc2OWmf-bVolD1GjiPzFDrF17N7CiwJ6wf_uSVI_7fCgLtvtpb9aAJQBpZmc1jqWK6-eIa83qx6yDFx5JAA/s320/starmore+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5tyyGDh5tyzZgumfITBO5CeX7AF1iXAkfLhfF_9Gr5VItIqIbpcHThcq28yni3r9CzdHKR0o6J6kVWHx9afLzgmprOPKB6hI-3J-kuXFoQgLFKv8nyhW6Q8z_4z01ZgpBmpGuw/s1600-h/starmore+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187243673750460498" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5tyyGDh5tyzZgumfITBO5CeX7AF1iXAkfLhfF_9Gr5VItIqIbpcHThcq28yni3r9CzdHKR0o6J6kVWHx9afLzgmprOPKB6hI-3J-kuXFoQgLFKv8nyhW6Q8z_4z01ZgpBmpGuw/s320/starmore+004.jpg" border="0" /></a> It is only knitting after all - good to end a rant on a high note - the buttons are great, and looking at them almost makes me forget the Starmore pain.</div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-39453675019366850392008-04-07T08:30:00.000-07:002008-11-13T06:33:38.296-08:00Martha Bottlecap<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPqxFC59yzzRSOQd81dgYE48qpwSkMI-Nq5KixVwDOyIf1PPvOkcFV4EfaeIuBMlcr6ENiRAE_Sdd_FFN4tm1WHW0SxESa2W2zuiYySZFU-81fkhBYTh9vKXQNXF5CpsgpiuRZQ/s1600-h/2389162689_6e9dc1e680.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPqxFC59yzzRSOQd81dgYE48qpwSkMI-Nq5KixVwDOyIf1PPvOkcFV4EfaeIuBMlcr6ENiRAE_Sdd_FFN4tm1WHW0SxESa2W2zuiYySZFU-81fkhBYTh9vKXQNXF5CpsgpiuRZQ/s320/2389162689_6e9dc1e680.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186526543061047362" /></a> Can I cast on something new yet???? All of this finishing is killing me!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoU5pAywxJdm_mtUXYITIbibrt7PVjbkzLS-wFsEjI8gNwIGr8Q_DPz-H8hTEYTGZ7-MaMgIZ9HS-y3427FISexBfZ6Oj4JljWXcIhKbMDSSwbq39ZVTj-dzRWpjW4EW47Pqq7Vw/s1600-h/2390012818_c6af66b82b.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoU5pAywxJdm_mtUXYITIbibrt7PVjbkzLS-wFsEjI8gNwIGr8Q_DPz-H8hTEYTGZ7-MaMgIZ9HS-y3427FISexBfZ6Oj4JljWXcIhKbMDSSwbq39ZVTj-dzRWpjW4EW47Pqq7Vw/s320/2390012818_c6af66b82b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186526444276799538" /></a> So, here's Martha, from Rowan Studio, in the new Manos Silk Blend. I call her Martha Bottlecap because the buttons remind me of bottlecaps - love them! If I hadn't used them on this little cardigan, I may have built a project around them.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Wbosf774mi5BOk-Em0SUPuxT6_-vQIUMNCpXsLfDsTpUjgWMi2qD_3AeUeAl1Yj0LnMUo9ZUsTE1VUTOhlUcQmXAGz3WAHk35qhy71t7lDJIAJEQIvA2z87_L6yVxLOODt_Kjg/s1600-h/2390012824_fc28808526.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Wbosf774mi5BOk-Em0SUPuxT6_-vQIUMNCpXsLfDsTpUjgWMi2qD_3AeUeAl1Yj0LnMUo9ZUsTE1VUTOhlUcQmXAGz3WAHk35qhy71t7lDJIAJEQIvA2z87_L6yVxLOODt_Kjg/s320/2390012824_fc28808526.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186526311132813346" /></a> This was an easy knit, and a not so easy finish - blocking was a bitch. Thanks for that schematic Rowan - not!<br /><br />The schematic had all of two measurements - width and height. Last time I looked, that made a rectangle. Hmm - there's an armhole there people. So, I did the best I could. Sewing in the cap sleeve was no fun. Kind of like putting a square peg in a round hole. I messed up the buttonholes - thanks again Rowan for writing instructions like "begin front neck shaping 39 rows from the beginning of neck shaping of back." I guess my row gauge was off, because when I followed the instructions for the buttonholes - p54, make button hole - I ended up with a buttonhole on the lower half of the garment. Oopsy. So, I sewed that hole up, and went with 2 buttons on the top half, and since they're pretty big, showy buttons, it worked out ok.<br /><br />And, I'm so glad I took this picture outside - what's up with my crazy two-toned hair!?! I immediately made an appointment for a color - friends - how did you let me walk around like this??? Can I just whine for a moment - something has happened to my hair. It's not growing. Well, it must be, since you can clearly see the color line in the above pictures. But, where is it going? I don't have a lot of breakage at the bottom. I thought that perhaps it was just curling up, and curling up, but when I blow it dry, it's not significantly longer (see pics with Tangled Yoke). I have the amazing disappearing hair. I guess what goes around comes around - I've spent a lifetime with thick, curly hair - and all I've ever wanted was straight hair. When I would clean out the drain in my shower after washing my hair, I would secretly, and evilly, chuckle at my bald male friends - if they only new how much hair I had to spare! And now . . . ok, I'm not going bald, but I've definitely reached one of those age milestones where you're body changes in a not so good way. <br /><br />I'm ok with turning 40 (not this summer, next summer - we'll see how ok I am then). I'm ok with the lines appearing on my face. I'm ok with feeling tired and a little sore after playing tennis on Wii. I'm ok with my metabolism slowing down, and not being able to drop five pounds by simply upping my water intake, and chopping out alcohol and sweets. But my hair! Sigh. It's all downhill, I know it - I might as well go to the wigmaker now.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-64587454904307839002008-04-02T07:55:00.000-07:002008-11-13T06:33:40.218-08:00Kaffe?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7D_DA1zx8ZRGDpgOftiwYCuuYWFHH_saaGUbljtr-NqhoKDWJW11dz7EHCPJDEXhl1qjUxDgM6r6QcFGTK6EyELlX0CS-Z1An72IJRqS7JGq5fFDKhcBDNsr_IhS9LbeJfpKQQ/s1600-h/knitbag+009.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7D_DA1zx8ZRGDpgOftiwYCuuYWFHH_saaGUbljtr-NqhoKDWJW11dz7EHCPJDEXhl1qjUxDgM6r6QcFGTK6EyELlX0CS-Z1An72IJRqS7JGq5fFDKhcBDNsr_IhS9LbeJfpKQQ/s320/knitbag+009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184666495804364818" /></a> So, here's the Kaffe, or is it? I mean, what makes this a Kaffe Fassett design at this point? <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb78yLsofWsmwiEJBtBCUnntdWsg3nQJ5aSTsIGxulyItj152_BpZqd4EwCqT8vl3DRJXvAqhChGIrxqIy_8dRLiF3nbkDclhhSpf9kQodGt2mX1zFoW7pwO4aRxlLR30o4nztAQ/s1600-h/knitbag+006.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb78yLsofWsmwiEJBtBCUnntdWsg3nQJ5aSTsIGxulyItj152_BpZqd4EwCqT8vl3DRJXvAqhChGIrxqIy_8dRLiF3nbkDclhhSpf9kQodGt2mX1zFoW7pwO4aRxlLR30o4nztAQ/s320/knitbag+006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184663334708434930" /></a><br />Have I followed any color theory whatsoever? I certainly didn't pick a motif in nature in order to emulate the colors. I didn't pick a work of a great master, and paint his/her canvas with my yarn. The Kaffe Little Circles has 11 colors, I have at least 17, I'm not sure. The original pattern had a chart with a progression of colors, but frankly, it was nearly impossible to follow the progression because when I started I hadn't picked all of my colors yet, and I didn't predetermine what color was going to be which designated letter to correspond to the progression chart. So, from the beginning, I tossed the pattern aside, and began the dizzying experience of trying to come up with three color combinations that worked together, and when that was too exhausting, I just started grabbing balls from the bag. I wouldn't say I employed any kind of theory, unless randomness qualifies as a theory of madness. This piece is definitely more Jackson Pollock than Kaffe Fassett.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9V0RNjAYfIiv78Ndrrz74RE7mSO1QwuTBCPP4k4rek6eSwScmSq8DRDG-WygATdf6PRPYbF7JsX8gztKiwv7T8ww4btf8vmVqGbntcE8QcQt00gktJflTCM2QGByLDc_rAhLnw/s1600-h/knitbag+007.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9V0RNjAYfIiv78Ndrrz74RE7mSO1QwuTBCPP4k4rek6eSwScmSq8DRDG-WygATdf6PRPYbF7JsX8gztKiwv7T8ww4btf8vmVqGbntcE8QcQt00gktJflTCM2QGByLDc_rAhLnw/s320/knitbag+007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184663197269481442" /></a> The original Little Circles is knit flat, in two pieces. Obviously, I'm knitting in the round, and I've just put the steek in for the v-neck.<br /><br />Little Circles does have a v-neck, but I'm starting my V much lower, so it'll be much deeper. Oh, the original was nice enough, it's not that I'm dying for a plunging neckline or anything, but I had the tube off the needles, and shimmied my way into it - and it is SMALL!!!! The snug, undulated little circles over my love handles are hardly attractive. I started out on gauge, when the project just had DK weight yarns. But, having fallen in love with the Rowan 4-ply Tweed, I kept throwing it in, along with a few other fingering weights, and I went from 6 stitches to the inch, at the bottom, where you can see Whiskey, Felted Tweed, and a doubled Misti Alpaca, to 8 to the inch, about a quarter of the way up, when I stopped doubling the alpaca, and was really using a Whiskey or a Felted Tweed, and 2 fingering weights per row. Oopsy. So, I'm hoping with the low v-neck, I'll have a bigger playground for my boobs to run around in, and perhaps with blocking, I'll get another inch or so, and it won't be horrendous. And, if it's horrendous on me, it'll be a great gift for my skinny sister-in-law. It's just way too late to rip and start over now. So, with Courtney's math help, I started the v-neck lower, and have abandoned the original shaping of Kaffe's Little Circles.<br /><br />So what's left of Kaffe? The color palette - gone. Method of knitting - changed. Shaping - altered. All that's really left is the simple Little Circle stranded pattern. I guess that's enough - I mean it's not really mine, I didn't design anything. It's not really Courtney's - she just did the math for the v-neck. It's kind of a mishmash. Whatever it is, though, its Krazy.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sNeKPQKkkafwdJscbg8VR75sZRNC_Dh2dryyB5RnbdwbUFvWJaL_alPbbw-dgxx26WAq5p3_KRv2Q6o0dn7FluP0w0dXg2lb97O1t4tea4rZe-gzijlEtST7YDyTsD-k77xw2g/s1600-h/knitbag+011.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sNeKPQKkkafwdJscbg8VR75sZRNC_Dh2dryyB5RnbdwbUFvWJaL_alPbbw-dgxx26WAq5p3_KRv2Q6o0dn7FluP0w0dXg2lb97O1t4tea4rZe-gzijlEtST7YDyTsD-k77xw2g/s320/knitbag+011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184662986816083922" /></a>And, here's that Krazy thingy hanging out of my new knitting bag. I love my new bag, it's big, it's roomie, and I've been coveting it for a long time. Everyday I walk little Dexter down Pine Street, and we pass this cute little store, <a href="http://www.omoionline.com/">Omoi</a>, that sells kitschy Japanese stuff. The tote bags are on a rack in the window. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyatSicyfzEHHBCMqSbfbmb-r-c8gJwLwxyzcsZibOE6MStWSGSoJ6uBuovERQ_AvRlDyDDFwNcimt67dusjynRmwzm_cTiPsIHmnOtR6xyMeW8kd0etQqFxkE7wKRb5dICwDHg/s1600-h/knitbag+013.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyatSicyfzEHHBCMqSbfbmb-r-c8gJwLwxyzcsZibOE6MStWSGSoJ6uBuovERQ_AvRlDyDDFwNcimt67dusjynRmwzm_cTiPsIHmnOtR6xyMeW8kd0etQqFxkE7wKRb5dICwDHg/s320/knitbag+013.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184662845082163138" /></a><br />This past weekend, I had to teach at a CLE, that lasted from 3:00 p.m. Friday, through 3:00 p.m. Sunday, uch! Each day started at 8:00 a.m., and went on and on and on. I definitely needed a treat. Normally, a treat would be casting on - but, a ha! I circumvented that urge (even though I did get the Autumn Rose pattern finally, to go with the yarn I already have, and I do have that Starmore calling my name), but promising myself that knitting bag in the window. <br /><br />Look how much room it has!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhee3_FXESKyK50HcodZqO9v1E_eZipjcTn9zZq727reL88GcHaEnD3e5B5U7Jg2q0Iwz4YCde38F9wgAtLpxaMGzM-6xc33iXJXiMKvm-Oh9YnYZXNxWC4qxtKCkB3ZxxU2g3A/s1600-h/knitbag+015.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhee3_FXESKyK50HcodZqO9v1E_eZipjcTn9zZq727reL88GcHaEnD3e5B5U7Jg2q0Iwz4YCde38F9wgAtLpxaMGzM-6xc33iXJXiMKvm-Oh9YnYZXNxWC4qxtKCkB3ZxxU2g3A/s320/knitbag+015.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184662699053275058" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIShXEffyWtjabRKfY-e9xTorAd6JgBQwGkeWXyaN66AbKBTOhwxMJfSSEnQV0I51AJGl303t3iB3AehFqZdT-ryrBAOtFp5Q6Kn0v88yFryqJQJ5peSwm750q2rGfU6BnEeTdw/s1600-h/knitbag+017.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIShXEffyWtjabRKfY-e9xTorAd6JgBQwGkeWXyaN66AbKBTOhwxMJfSSEnQV0I51AJGl303t3iB3AehFqZdT-ryrBAOtFp5Q6Kn0v88yFryqJQJ5peSwm750q2rGfU6BnEeTdw/s320/knitbag+017.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184662269556545442" /></a> And this, another little bag! All of the girls at Knitting Circle are ga ga over <a href="http://piddleloop.com/">Piddleloop's</a> project bag. This isn't one of them - they're always sold out. So, I orderd one from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5232534">ZigZag Stitches</a>, who also makes bags from Japanese fabrics. I haven't done a comparative analysis of the two bags, but mine came with a little needle case as well, seems sturdy enough, and is an excellent addition to my new knitting bag.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7P3p-p9gu_Ve2x_NpqDZB5tDx3EOfNl2ECnM7zsnLG5ievdqtDkaFy6J1fZCiWAyVmQSQpghD_IplsTS3i9_OQuGa9LufqpKT0JBAR03vlgmRKPBZodiMZ0Eo1EsEpvrKDrfGMw/s1600-h/knitbag+018.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7P3p-p9gu_Ve2x_NpqDZB5tDx3EOfNl2ECnM7zsnLG5ievdqtDkaFy6J1fZCiWAyVmQSQpghD_IplsTS3i9_OQuGa9LufqpKT0JBAR03vlgmRKPBZodiMZ0Eo1EsEpvrKDrfGMw/s320/knitbag+018.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184662110642755474" /></a><br /><br />And Madness Manos Blanket? 13 blocks to go. There's no way I'm not going to cast on the Starmore any second, but I will finish Martha first. I have the back, a front, a sleeve, and 3/4's of the second front done, and probably if I hadn't strayed to the Kaffe for the past couple of days, it would be done. Probably over the weekend. And, with Tangled Yoke in the can, Martha out of the way, and Kaffe making signficant progress, I think I've done enough penance to finally cast on - the Starmore!Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-85854537288609440972008-03-28T08:08:00.000-07:002008-11-13T06:33:41.200-08:00Home ImprovedAs part of Operation Clean Up, not only have I been making my house cleaner, as in you can eat on the floor, I've been making it more functional - as in, you don't have to eat on the floor. Yes, I finally broke down and bought an expandable table for my living room. No more dining on the ottoman, I have a real table. And, voila - a place for the table runner I knit for Lisa Shobhana Mason's book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/YarnPlay-Home-Handknits-Colorful-Living/dp/1600610056/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206717529&sr=8-2">YarnPlay Home</a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJDKBIqlzbKszBr4k3FR_R51oQpnrgncp0DTg66eO7XP3whbV1zTyUrCykdXZPC-03kP1_ds8W1stqp0WrX62Y_WPm-JvvPsxYmE2A3xZDX_Aysicpz6gRVolxuTDFof4VLhgsQ/s1600-h/runner+009.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJDKBIqlzbKszBr4k3FR_R51oQpnrgncp0DTg66eO7XP3whbV1zTyUrCykdXZPC-03kP1_ds8W1stqp0WrX62Y_WPm-JvvPsxYmE2A3xZDX_Aysicpz6gRVolxuTDFof4VLhgsQ/s320/runner+009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182810481521973106" /></a> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOyR5E6zKBbZOEZgFaiWOKv60qwnob5gnSYGCNb4UfxyzlzueAR1K-rdmvHK59zIpLKv0L4CJewWMeJCoSFLEioThe09itMIs0BEiIdQci2ZDbAcu_pqWNHBM2UxZ28k3T9TOTw/s1600-h/runner+005.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOyR5E6zKBbZOEZgFaiWOKv60qwnob5gnSYGCNb4UfxyzlzueAR1K-rdmvHK59zIpLKv0L4CJewWMeJCoSFLEioThe09itMIs0BEiIdQci2ZDbAcu_pqWNHBM2UxZ28k3T9TOTw/s320/runner+005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182810906723735426" /></a> When Lisa asked me to help her out with the book, I had the choice of knitting a table runner or a bathmat. Hmmmm . . . and the girl without the table picked the table runner. But, that was ok - it was an easy knit, although not a quick knit - it's very long, although narrow, and it was a bit hard on my hands, it's knit in hemp. But, as you can see, the finished project was worth the effort.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhugJ6hFv5JbI24PNo5SFIr9KPmioRBXpHlnLu4CAxBeJTYS3KBrbGMOe4wFU5dHH41IhiqDvOkrztzSTbAlWLHElnGQHYLMkr2UOk7Po3EmcW9FcYZzvVI_34K2c_W3Wcep8gKtw/s1600-h/runner+007.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhugJ6hFv5JbI24PNo5SFIr9KPmioRBXpHlnLu4CAxBeJTYS3KBrbGMOe4wFU5dHH41IhiqDvOkrztzSTbAlWLHElnGQHYLMkr2UOk7Po3EmcW9FcYZzvVI_34K2c_W3Wcep8gKtw/s320/runner+007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182810258183673698" /></a> So, if you haven't checked out the book, and your house needs a bit of sprucing up, you should. Written in the same vein as YarnPlay, all of the projects have room for your own touch, and more than a dash of creativity. Not only can you throw some splashes of color and texture in your own home, the book has great gift ideas, like a wine cozy, a tea cozy, and an cd case cover, among other things. <br />So, while I generously got a gift, signed copy of the book from Lisa, I probably would have bought it anyway - a great companion to the original.<br /><br />So, there's one old project that finally found its place - on to what's new - or going to be new - because, keeping to my No New Projects until the Manos Madness blanket is complete (14 blocks to go!!), I have not cast on anything new since the Mukluks. Right now, I'm working on Martha from Rowan Studio in the Manos Silk blend - yum. Can't even tell you how much I love knitting with this yarn. But, you shall see - the back, and one front are done -- it should be done sometime next week. <br /><br />And then the Kaffe - really, the Kaffe.<br /><br />And then, I have on word for you - STARMORE!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQUSFfhDq8Xd3jzKQWEEucp3gHpGXlGuoboXu0rov5-R6ZUF-50MEt-Sa3KguuxwNBumHqy73FddkkjErik_ZHgqebw5gFXuX70OoVQC8n4A07-60xu5wwB1tM0qZwJjkzKwd5Q/s1600-h/runner+002.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQUSFfhDq8Xd3jzKQWEEucp3gHpGXlGuoboXu0rov5-R6ZUF-50MEt-Sa3KguuxwNBumHqy73FddkkjErik_ZHgqebw5gFXuX70OoVQC8n4A07-60xu5wwB1tM0qZwJjkzKwd5Q/s320/runner+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182810026255439698" /></a> <br />Just call me crazy, that's really all I can say about this project at this point!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHWUyfQaL00VQR9iD-LWNnuKG6MjQ0VekLbjDeH0l8wYcY84jasvbAIPahLpL26Cn8sgbDW8F-rWJE4Bp4vc6oUhHrOH7x0FvNdZH407kLHBWJ_CYd3dTUZ5tt5-0XROZBqWhbQ/s1600-h/runner+001.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHWUyfQaL00VQR9iD-LWNnuKG6MjQ0VekLbjDeH0l8wYcY84jasvbAIPahLpL26Cn8sgbDW8F-rWJE4Bp4vc6oUhHrOH7x0FvNdZH407kLHBWJ_CYd3dTUZ5tt5-0XROZBqWhbQ/s320/runner+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182809798622172994" /></a> I found this pattern on ebay - in Vogue Knitting Fall 1989. Individual copies of the magazines sell for up to $30 on ebay, but I found this one in a lot of four 80's Vogue's - I almost felt like I was stealing when I clicked the Buy Now for $12.50 button, but that's the world of ebay commerce! The pattern is knit in Jamieson and Smith's shetland, and Courtney and I did our best to substitute all TWENTY colors with Jamieson's Spindrift. I have no idea when I'm going to get started on this - I'm sure in a moment of madness - hmmm, just like when I stared the Manos blanket!Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-59465656819866589152008-03-24T05:12:00.000-07:002008-11-13T06:33:42.340-08:00Yoke Untangled<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWqJycRFLsvQLlPnaUuc40uwoiYHzJ6NKXv4uHdD8f6URomemfYcsJNJr0NMZgk-RD-HOD2JnSe4q3S6tvX5p8nSYyVruc2YS0ENso6OkRdUc4iUi8GxiySgBr9qoBHRCK2K6sRg/s1600-h/tangledyoke.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181313105598732082" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWqJycRFLsvQLlPnaUuc40uwoiYHzJ6NKXv4uHdD8f6URomemfYcsJNJr0NMZgk-RD-HOD2JnSe4q3S6tvX5p8nSYyVruc2YS0ENso6OkRdUc4iUi8GxiySgBr9qoBHRCK2K6sRg/s320/tangledyoke.jpg" border="0" /></a> Give a girl a Duncan Hines cake mix, and all kinds of craziness can happen - even a nice Jewish girl can make an Easter bunny cake. I'm having a heart attack just looking at it, but there it is -<br /><br />And, that's not the only thing I finished over the Easter break - tangled yoke is a tangle no more! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRas0HjFJdf-XL5pm-l9o5iJUzqx8E17k0xlrngoJMGhtwYTqTM2TNo-v2BV44q5FuYiqVUq8P-CsoD_P8H3KTDM9iRJl75GHU7_1LW2T9brBuiMyYuy_qIMK653wuymzGfK3mw/s1600-h/tangledyoke+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181312693281871650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRas0HjFJdf-XL5pm-l9o5iJUzqx8E17k0xlrngoJMGhtwYTqTM2TNo-v2BV44q5FuYiqVUq8P-CsoD_P8H3KTDM9iRJl75GHU7_1LW2T9brBuiMyYuy_qIMK653wuymzGfK3mw/s320/tangledyoke+001.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LmNcKEF2tnDGIv6tpV9y9wgKqK2mIZIx9HDOVG11smVUDKWVvsPURWtH0R3tPxfXoF6d8oX27c8F1QU7BGw66VBgL9OhAsb9mipN_8gcDkL62rzBH5Y-jODIBDoiRga6KFuRZA/s1600-h/tangledyoke+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181311842878346978" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LmNcKEF2tnDGIv6tpV9y9wgKqK2mIZIx9HDOVG11smVUDKWVvsPURWtH0R3tPxfXoF6d8oX27c8F1QU7BGw66VBgL9OhAsb9mipN_8gcDkL62rzBH5Y-jODIBDoiRga6KFuRZA/s320/tangledyoke+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I don't even remember when I started this - whenever the magazine came out, I think, because I know I grabbed this color, Avocado, out of our first fall shipment of Rowan yarns, and I think I cast on before I cast on Cobblestone (which, by the way, is such a tragedy - because Mr. Tall insisted on washing it, and hanging it on the back of a chair to dry - all of that ripping out I did because I had overestimated how tall he really is is now completely for naught - as it has stretched back out to its oversized, ridiculous original state. Ah well, back to the blocking board!). <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFioaR_x0tNmwoqw0tbJfCtZlCi2HvqO2oMS5dEzPUwSutCD8HAQS-TMBpWhTx8QhOo0-J8q0Gb1zU_jNhAnhnJZjCipKH4fSKHrCGvQnoPDgEGCYhveyM7s2T243VXD5AWfqRSw/s1600-h/tangledyoke+017.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181280115954931362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFioaR_x0tNmwoqw0tbJfCtZlCi2HvqO2oMS5dEzPUwSutCD8HAQS-TMBpWhTx8QhOo0-J8q0Gb1zU_jNhAnhnJZjCipKH4fSKHrCGvQnoPDgEGCYhveyM7s2T243VXD5AWfqRSw/s320/tangledyoke+017.jpg" border="0" /></a>I knit the body, and the sleeves pretty quickly, and then - the yoke -<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYS9GTclxU4MCTvvcPjrKlZ5BUXdL6-r7oMG946oc3MpUzbdKYoLcHyHl-Bg8-LZKy8uwQf1Ix6fkRxCwJ__cm9jCeve33J8h_YlSfJKKjJi_b5M9jp_rD87SEEVsFk6w07lS8VA/s1600-h/tangledyoke+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181311576590374610" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYS9GTclxU4MCTvvcPjrKlZ5BUXdL6-r7oMG946oc3MpUzbdKYoLcHyHl-Bg8-LZKy8uwQf1Ix6fkRxCwJ__cm9jCeve33J8h_YlSfJKKjJi_b5M9jp_rD87SEEVsFk6w07lS8VA/s320/tangledyoke+006.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />You can hardly see the cable, or the decoration as my niece called it, on the yoke in this picture, but it's there - and it scared me. I saw that one to five increase - the stitches increasing at the speed of light. I imagined the stitches on my needle, falling off my needle, becoming unwieldy and unmanageable. And, I tossed it aside, and tried to put it out of my mind.<br /><br />Then, Marian was at knitting circle one night, and picked out her yarn, Whiskey, to get started. By the next week, she had finished the body, joined the yoke, and had her markers in to start the cable. I admired hers, and began to covet. I coveted my neighbor's sweater. So, Laura and I were working at the shop on Saturday, and I mentioned my fear of the cable, and my potential inadequacies as a knitter, and Laura was like, "huh, I should knit the yoke for you - it looks like the only fun part of the sweater." I let that sink in a bit, and it sank -<br /><br />Until it was like a Call to Duty (not that Call to Duty is imbedded in my brain or anything from Mr. Tall and his son playing it for four hours yesterday while I read the Times) - I must knit this because I CAN. I CAN DO IT.<br />So, I joined the yoke, color coded my cable chart, and three days later - the yoke was done. And, I was mighty proud of myself.<br />Then, my second fear rose to the surface.<br /><br />I wasn't sure it was going to fit. <br /><br />My weight fluctuates - up five, down five, up seven, down 10 - we all know how it is. My bust is like an inflatable balloon - 36C, 36D, 36C and once, after a totally obsessive round of weight watchers - a 34C!) - When I picked which size to knit, the 38, I was coming off the summer, was in pretty good shape, and had not yet gone back on the pill. A good six months later, and 2 mos. of birth control in my system, preceded by Thanksgiving, Christmas, and now, a very chocolately Easter - well, a C is a stretch, and the D is pretty much where I'm at now. I became very nervous that the buttons wouldn't close, or if they did, it would be a tight squeeze. I consoled myself with the thought that the cardigan would still look pretty open, with a crisp white shirt underneath. <br /><br />When I went to Rosie's to buy my last stash of the Felted Tweed that I had on hold, I chatted with Jen, who also has a Tangled Yoke in the mix. I mentioned that I hadn't seen many Tangled Yokes parading through the store. She had, and I don't remember her exact wording, but she had seen a few sloppy button bands - loose, and pulling away from the sweater. My anxiety level increased. But, I was really determined to finish it. Laura's offer to do my knitting for me had definitely sparked a competitive chord in me -- it was a matter of pride, and if worst came to worst, it would be a great gift for a skinny person.<br /><br />In an effort to avoid the gaping button band, and the dreaded stretchy button across the boob, I did two things. First, I ignored the number of stitches that Eunny instructed us to pick up, and just picked up my button band like I would pick up a sock gusset - leaving no stitch unknit - and I ended up picking up a good 20 more stitches than the pattern called for. On the next row, I decreased to the correct number of stitches, and I think my button band is pretty darn spiffy.<br /><br />The next thing I did was I added buttons. The pattern calls for 9 buttons, I went with 11 spaced 2 inches apart. I figured the more hardware, the more restraint, and the more likely my boobies would stay put, in the sweater as opposed to popping through the buttons.<br /><br /><br />So, I crossed my fingers, and hoped my prophylactic measures worked - because I knew that aggressive blocking would foil the cable.<br /><br />And, voila - it fits. And, not only does it fit, I think it's one of the best fitting sweaters I've ever made. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXh8GA0KlNRqFXFgXxEJ1jglQx4-nvZa4wmd9B5IWwGkM9VHf5ID1NXA58GtNCgApYUH3JCaBnbwXD8YwMpqpFM5SWza5N19w4AKyY8M8hK3XSRvPyqQKc4uOuTaYLcUZwNO-5g/s1600-h/tangledyoke+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181312246605272834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXh8GA0KlNRqFXFgXxEJ1jglQx4-nvZa4wmd9B5IWwGkM9VHf5ID1NXA58GtNCgApYUH3JCaBnbwXD8YwMpqpFM5SWza5N19w4AKyY8M8hK3XSRvPyqQKc4uOuTaYLcUZwNO-5g/s320/tangledyoke+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguyBLkiCWnaaWHbGmsaFGJQN5UrZKTT5BFjhEGnHFOOlaIAnR0wx81MZAkLW62vDZrobQquF9_sTsuuUuk5KgpyU-5os5nhpTBmDw1FHdWGZOvWwGQ1x3BGVEPIRaQ3MkgW4nH5g/s1600-h/tangledyoke+002.jpg"></a> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqG1qurlZKG-oZ3TtCKcVtfX3zyHxHMBXS0CTuoGmUW7EIEcagX5q3XjHxy16z1TOn683Igv_94-MfyyvUqKLKNEX0SOSSGtJ6rqAeHqNv9-rmwk8Cb6emkOzDvGb2JPeGsAKRQ/s1600-h/tangledyoke+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181312079101548274" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqG1qurlZKG-oZ3TtCKcVtfX3zyHxHMBXS0CTuoGmUW7EIEcagX5q3XjHxy16z1TOn683Igv_94-MfyyvUqKLKNEX0SOSSGtJ6rqAeHqNv9-rmwk8Cb6emkOzDvGb2JPeGsAKRQ/s320/tangledyoke+004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And what happened to the mukluks - is March Mukluk Madness over? Have no fear. One mukluk is in the can, and the second is at the cuff (which since you start at the toe makes it about 3/4's done!). And, the Muchos Manos Blanket of Madness is moving along - only 15 more blocks to go! I definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel. And, since the mukluks, I have not cast on anything new. While we were at the Kaffe class a few weeks ago, someone asked me how many projects I had going at one time. I couldn't give her a number, I mentioned a few, and while the group was quietly knitting, I did some real soul searching about how many WIP's I actually have - and it's scary. Just as Laura's offer to do my knitting for me struck a nerve (not that it wasn't a generous offer, just that I knew I had it in my to knit the cable), I found myself growing hot under the collar, I'm sure my face turned a greenish shade of red - I don't even know if I can confess how many projects are actually hanging around. My fingers are hovering over the keyboard about to type the list, and I can't do it - hello, my name is Wendy, and I'm an addict . . .<br /><br />So, I do feel better having finished Tangled Yoke. After the Mukluks, and of course, the ongoing blanket, I'm going to finish Martha, and then assess what's next. I do know that Autumn Rose is in my near future, but I'm going to try try try to hold off casting on until I do some more colonics of the stash. And, <br /><div></div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-21152608234024582812008-03-09T12:27:00.000-07:002008-11-13T06:33:42.624-08:00Krazy Little Circles<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJskq20HLJvq5x3XuMafzNBTBv29NUjQ9VLyHWieWfsOlcbgVLzkglqRhmCyqO7csMrkrpkAlJ4kb0WJfWEgAoIvtKPk1AdW5sDawACgWbductdfA9qIzo84imQsPgIdYm9C0HQ/s1600-h/littlecircles.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175826031536494386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJskq20HLJvq5x3XuMafzNBTBv29NUjQ9VLyHWieWfsOlcbgVLzkglqRhmCyqO7csMrkrpkAlJ4kb0WJfWEgAoIvtKPk1AdW5sDawACgWbductdfA9qIzo84imQsPgIdYm9C0HQ/s320/littlecircles.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>From this perspective, it doesn't look so bad . . . with it sitting in my lap, or peering down at it, my eyes all squinty, and my lips pursed in concentration, it looks like poo.</div><div> </div><div>And I feel like poo when I knit it - it's exhausting! Adding that extra color to the row just throws things into a tizzy - a big, twisted muckety muck. I sort of have a sytem of throwing my yarn, and I say sort of, because I have to really think about it - it doesn't come naturally at all, and I can't seen to find a production machine-like rhythm that I usually have when I knit.</div><div> </div><div>But, I will perservere! Our next class is April 24th, and I hope to get to the armholes so that Lisa can show me how to put the steek in.</div><div> </div><div> </div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-42816970933708708872008-03-07T06:43:00.000-08:002008-11-13T06:33:43.132-08:00Whiskey on the High Seas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKujs1dxWoI14ZZaPY0qeboBZCY99yd2OA5vJIqyxmFb9rtxyWIWDQ0kj14UJnRMC5iEKhWcUV87YnLJgPfXP2TYuTxJkUozOqjFJI_SgEWUzFqxMs2XZaAYLPjqQjRoL_FAg2A/s1600-h/mukluk+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175011688557303554" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKujs1dxWoI14ZZaPY0qeboBZCY99yd2OA5vJIqyxmFb9rtxyWIWDQ0kj14UJnRMC5iEKhWcUV87YnLJgPfXP2TYuTxJkUozOqjFJI_SgEWUzFqxMs2XZaAYLPjqQjRoL_FAg2A/s320/mukluk+006.jpg" border="0" /></a> So you knew the mukluk couldn't be far behind the tam, right? Or, ahem, the Caspian Sea Socks, my substitute mukluks. I shouldn't really call them mukluks, because they're not - they just kind of look like the mukluks I have in my memory. But since this is all about the ethnic sock experience a la Priscilla Gibson-Roberts I feel like I shouldn't slap a generic (wrong) label on them - it's kind of like when my clients say "I wasn't out there selling drugs, I was just going to the Chinese store (meaning the convenience store on the corner run by someone of either Asian, Indian or Middle Eastern origin).<br /><br />So, for my folkie socks, I'm using Whiskey, in blue, olive, plum and orange.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0z3eMCjJSme6u8WJHEGbk7b4-3F3TgUzeeYWjdSOZImgTrc0fkI3vLHT-GXqcnH7S7aIiF1veM3HsETe2EtoGHnmNPbzLd0p4xpF6g1KBOaKqL7WvOwgi2QGqwO97teds4fCcuA/s1600-h/mukluk+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175013956300035858" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0z3eMCjJSme6u8WJHEGbk7b4-3F3TgUzeeYWjdSOZImgTrc0fkI3vLHT-GXqcnH7S7aIiF1veM3HsETe2EtoGHnmNPbzLd0p4xpF6g1KBOaKqL7WvOwgi2QGqwO97teds4fCcuA/s320/mukluk+005.jpg" border="0" /></a>The pattern uses Tiur, which from my understanding is a very mohairy, dk weight yarn. I went with Whiskey, which without the mohair is coming in at gauge on a 4, as opposed to the 2 used in the pattern. And, of course, I know that because I cast on on 2's, and had to rip it out after completing the toe because all I had was a tiny nipple cover.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sOW9Jb3AYMHIsSFpMoNYSsuEvoPWh6BrNLJTvwLExhyphenhyphenQxxFGOwM-RATbdLUwTwNXzCUkT0nUAX98xT-xqN2oITR_k7W-edoFdFafzgm7025jpE7x6nddU8qb0EGXcmvJjYBqLw/s1600-h/mukluk+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175014776638789410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sOW9Jb3AYMHIsSFpMoNYSsuEvoPWh6BrNLJTvwLExhyphenhyphenQxxFGOwM-RATbdLUwTwNXzCUkT0nUAX98xT-xqN2oITR_k7W-edoFdFafzgm7025jpE7x6nddU8qb0EGXcmvJjYBqLw/s320/mukluk+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And speaking of nipples, sort of - I'm not a big fan of how the toe nipples - and I knew from reading the pattern, is was going to, because there are four straight rows before you start increasing for the toe shaping. I wish I had gone free form, but since I'm not really a toe up kind of girl, I decided to follow the pattern. And now, sigh, I have a nipple toe.<br /><br />So I did my Middle Eastern cast-on -- three times. For anyone who has never tried this technique there's a very good video on Youtube. I would link to it, but I'm at work, and I can't open download sites here. Anyway, first, I cast on, and I just could not figure out the chart, in combination with the written instructions. The pattern is charted, and the instructions are also written out line by line. When I tried to put the two together, I was befuddled, literally scratching my head. I was at knitting circle, and I can't remember who it was, was like, "oh my G-d, I've never seen you like this - never!" And I really was stymied - increase where? Two times? In what color? - the large size and the small size are charted together, and the small size is outlined by a heavy black line. The written instructions say something like, "knit four in pattern, increase 2 repeat." I just could not figure out which were the four, and where the increases were, looking at the line by line itemization. So I screwed it up, ripped it out. Cast on again. I tossed aside the written instructions, and just followed the chart, and everything worked out just fine.<br /><br />Except that they were too small. Ah well, so I made a nipple toe swatch. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HjmYEO7vCJWRtlk_YBn82PbfsK-AxmYrLErhyphenhyphenfGIA5E_1m0ztsrQ8f_5MpbpbEK5FyxMQZGezj9RBFHstwpZsI-rOJLso2Ils1NgMxLt5G9EniD4ZBKy6PIee1qgExp31p5vBw/s1600-h/mukluk+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175011267650508514" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HjmYEO7vCJWRtlk_YBn82PbfsK-AxmYrLErhyphenhyphenfGIA5E_1m0ztsrQ8f_5MpbpbEK5FyxMQZGezj9RBFHstwpZsI-rOJLso2Ils1NgMxLt5G9EniD4ZBKy6PIee1qgExp31p5vBw/s320/mukluk+007.jpg" border="0" /></a> And, the fact that I couldn't actually read the perfectly good, standard English instructions, gave me hope that I will actually be able to knit something out of Ethnic Socks and Stockings, which has almost no written instructions, but rather a formula - toe up, follow the foot chart, waist yarn heel, follow the cuff chart. <br /><br />Hope is a good thing - a little luck won't hurt either!Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-52835257716044500002008-03-05T09:14:00.000-08:002008-11-13T06:33:44.097-08:00Knitting a Tam Family Style<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMT-pZRd9DpiNVpWr6_x0nmzIqhQjWiFRgzKy00ehvWPZGjbXL-kURKNS2Lm_ZuKUavXxDpRYZ9lp6_VxOQ0hUDnnlPYmZT06fluHsYXXiA2HSy9TkVr9gD4F3Cx_1mJFJhkd9g/s1600-h/tam+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174310716205911474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMT-pZRd9DpiNVpWr6_x0nmzIqhQjWiFRgzKy00ehvWPZGjbXL-kURKNS2Lm_ZuKUavXxDpRYZ9lp6_VxOQ0hUDnnlPYmZT06fluHsYXXiA2HSy9TkVr9gD4F3Cx_1mJFJhkd9g/s400/tam+010.jpg" border="0" /></a> Some projects are as easy as just thinking of them. I wanted a tam, I have a tam! The knitting was almost an afterthought it went so quickly.<br />Using Mary Rowe's recipe for a basic 10" tam, I plugged in the palm pattern from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Eunny</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Jang's</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Anemoi</span> Mittens, and then for the wheel, I used the first wheel pattern in her appendix in the back of the book.<br /><br />The book reads much like a Chinese restaurant menu - 1 from column A, 1 from column B, and finish your meal with the Chef's Special wheel. There's a chapter on knitting a basic tam (there is also a very math heavy chapter on changing the size of your tam, but I just thumbed passed any page with a square root sign on it), with different numbers for different weight yarn. To add color fair isle patterns, she refers you to her 2 appendices - one with traditional <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">xo</span> patterns, and the second section, for the pattern that will border the wheel - pick one from Group A, one from Group B. In her book, both of these patterns form the "body," and her wedge shaped charts form the "wheel."<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qOTvcpxnSPD-K5MOhfh5lnyCqrJAQWlyS889nFns1tpeeeGIR5hUiVqfLZjp0c2iy98_T3awpWQSLrw71njhOJOVh8yAO2c89nRf34_CmTpc4MeSH9nGfuY-MMt5gl57CZxrtw/s1600-h/tam+012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174309410535853458" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qOTvcpxnSPD-K5MOhfh5lnyCqrJAQWlyS889nFns1tpeeeGIR5hUiVqfLZjp0c2iy98_T3awpWQSLrw71njhOJOVh8yAO2c89nRf34_CmTpc4MeSH9nGfuY-MMt5gl57CZxrtw/s400/tam+012.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Even though there's a very detailed section on the different wheel patterns - scallops, petals, leaves, etc., I had a hard time visualizing how the wedges were going to come together - huh? That makes a flower, really? And, because the "body" in the book is also referred to as the "border," this kind of confused me. The body is 3.5 to 4 inches long, and the wheel is 26 rows. So, when looking at pictures, with the tams already blocked, I wasn't sure how far up the body traveled(was the Group "B" pattern the pattern that appeared above the blocking line/fold and what she was referring to as the border or is the whole body the border, I thought to myself), and what was the beginning of the wheel. So, while I toyed with the idea of throwing in another pattern in the body, I was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">gunshy</span> because I didn't know exactly how much would be on the underbelly, and how much would border the wheel on the top. Nor, did I get exactly where the wheel started, I mean, I could see the decreases, but the few rows before, that had like "squiggly" patterns,little bits of color, sort of - was that B or the first row of the wheel? - so the planning process was also kind of like a Chinese dinner - pork, chicken and shrimp in the soup, pork, chicken and shrimp in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">eggroll</span>, and pork, chicken and shrimp in the entree - kind of hard to draw the digestion line.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdQ2a47m-SiBC-HbrzPmXbtcmSDDpv9UHHqpjA73L3n1sVgAA8nlOcnmcDOZpNfx2KPEzfge5VEBac0CPDfOzUN0V7cwQ7IKlq0DhLQ3Sxq32XoBiCPLeHEp8H5H8UbiQXpxwWg/s1600-h/tam+014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174308916614614402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdQ2a47m-SiBC-HbrzPmXbtcmSDDpv9UHHqpjA73L3n1sVgAA8nlOcnmcDOZpNfx2KPEzfge5VEBac0CPDfOzUN0V7cwQ7IKlq0DhLQ3Sxq32XoBiCPLeHEp8H5H8UbiQXpxwWg/s400/tam+014.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAc562TZddc5OsN63xThyphenhyphenqyceqz_p5Xn4IGSKhyUTAi7MZGDXWtxAlEvBsxVV2STjVG7eth296Gky02Mjahv-Df09a2HVP2FEp1DhcgX42uS0LbXj8wrgyTzAONiW_VqBpwp0MQ/s1600-h/tam+015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174308469938015602" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAc562TZddc5OsN63xThyphenhyphenqyceqz_p5Xn4IGSKhyUTAi7MZGDXWtxAlEvBsxVV2STjVG7eth296Gky02Mjahv-Df09a2HVP2FEp1DhcgX42uS0LbXj8wrgyTzAONiW_VqBpwp0MQ/s400/tam+015.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Knitting the tam put it all in perspective.<br /><br /><br />The tam starts with a corrugated rib, and goes straight into what Mary describes as the body. On my tam, the body goes all the way to the "border" 3 rows of one row blue, one row main color, one row blue, and then the wheel pattern begins. So, if you put 2 of her traditional patterns in (an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">XO</span> pattern, and a larger pattern), the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">XO</span> will be on the underside post blocking, and the "border" pattern will be the top half of the body.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGWGDVQloqPm7zgNSWcj_RVfrAXd9Ed9qEtZogp4VRcwsOTU-_Uzr7Pk7_4lzYVZh_ZD7txIJajofGeYHfWcFpRzTKa_PASKoBqw-02TVOUNI2LFqR8FwMuu11eblGpMd4IozMw/s1600-h/tam+013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174307950246972770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGWGDVQloqPm7zgNSWcj_RVfrAXd9Ed9qEtZogp4VRcwsOTU-_Uzr7Pk7_4lzYVZh_ZD7txIJajofGeYHfWcFpRzTKa_PASKoBqw-02TVOUNI2LFqR8FwMuu11eblGpMd4IozMw/s400/tam+013.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So, now in this 50+ degree weather, I finally have my perfect winter ensemble! Yes, <a href="http://www.simplymindy.blogspot.com/">Mindy</a>, it is a little <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">matchy</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">matchy</span> for me, but I think throwing Maude, and a little <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Koigu</span> in the mix completes the picture just fine.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-1671417712487587792008-03-03T07:25:00.000-08:002008-11-13T06:33:44.713-08:00On Friday, I was hit with mukluk fever. I was surfing around, and stumbled across <a href="http://kristinknitalong.blogspot.com/2008/02/look-what-i-found.html">these mukluks</a>. Once, I bought a pair of mukluks at a street vendor for a pollyanna at work. To me, I really thought they were kind of a joke present - I mean, really, they were silly, crazy colored things, but they turned out to be the hot gift - the gift that everyone wanted, the gift that everyone stole instead of gambling with the grab bag. I couldn't steal them back, and my mukluks went home with someone else. I passed the vendor again, and it was always, "eh, I'll pick up a pair next week," until one day, they were gone, and I forgot about them.<br /><br />Until I saw them on the <a href="http://kristinknitalong.blogspot.com/">Kristin Knit a Long</a> and I had to have them. More than that, I had to knit them - NOW! So, I went on Ravelry, and tried to find the pattern. Nothing. I tried to find a pattern for another mukluk, but only bootlike mukluks came up, not slipper-like mukluks. Argh! I googled. Zip. No one had ever knit them? Couldn't be. At one time, they were kitted up by Classic Elite - no one knit them? Huh.<br /><br />On Saturday, at Rosie's, I flipped through every loose pattern we had - I looked on the shelves, in the back, in the office, under the seat covers - everywhere - and, success! I found them! I had visions of dancing around my living room in my mukluks, burrying my feet under my bedcovers in my mukluks, cooking dinner with my new wok in my mukluks.<br /><br />And then I read the pattern.<br /><br />Completely and totally incomprehensible.<br /><br />Between my Friday internet search frenzy, and my Saturday discovery, I had settled on a compromise pattern - <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rToTL3sspXp0Nua9d6K3J2Z08Gs-1x41SP3QxdvowYZMvWF4udOlu4-lLFwnj2IHD0DVyG2kB5PgE4Ki8BaDEl6nGg5MKZVdb6pyHGm5uhsPCtGBxISq_bNPbw9TF5y8z_ZKaQ/s1600-h/Caspian.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173540820394435026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rToTL3sspXp0Nua9d6K3J2Z08Gs-1x41SP3QxdvowYZMvWF4udOlu4-lLFwnj2IHD0DVyG2kB5PgE4Ki8BaDEl6nGg5MKZVdb6pyHGm5uhsPCtGBxISq_bNPbw9TF5y8z_ZKaQ/s400/Caspian.jpg" border="0" /></a>, the <a href="http://www.knittingdaily.com/freepatterns/legwear/54-1.html">Caspian Sea Socks</a> by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts. I Raveled it, and other Gibson-Roberts patterns came up. I tried to find the book, Ethnic Socks and Stockings online, and chuckled when I saw the book listed for $200 on Amazon. I didn't need vendor mukluks for $100 per sock. But wouldn't you know it - Rosie's had a copy on the shelf - not so burried treasure! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXikYE7Y50rIPMjJ20kGeUvuzo3Uaee3WpkaAAJVkKAMkEMqjw-Y-AbugPBTlaHxT74tuhdt3u7R8KrloFh0-9NT13-LSBIjq2m-DG_3Y6F-Fl3vap5IIEIBdVUUivs8u0ww1GgA/s1600-h/51m4qvvs8xl_small.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173549998739546594" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXikYE7Y50rIPMjJ20kGeUvuzo3Uaee3WpkaAAJVkKAMkEMqjw-Y-AbugPBTlaHxT74tuhdt3u7R8KrloFh0-9NT13-LSBIjq2m-DG_3Y6F-Fl3vap5IIEIBdVUUivs8u0ww1GgA/s400/51m4qvvs8xl_small.jpg" border="0" /></a> So I bought a copy, and read it.<br /><br />And read it.<br /><br />Not incomprehensible, not at all. The history lesson didn't tickle my fancy quite like mitten courtship rituals, and the detailed explanations of the gazillion different castons, heels, arches, legs, cuffs - really hurt my brain, but I'm definitely going to tackle something in the book - some day. Right now, I think I'll stick to the Caspian Sea Socks, where the instructions are written out line by line, and I can practice many of the techniques needed for a good go at one of the many socks in Ethnic Socks and Stockings, which seem to require a good grasp of Eastern sock construction, because while the charts look doable, the written instructions are more like a recipe than an actual pattern - throw in a Iranian cast-on, use a waste yarn heel - sort of.<br /><br />Anyway, so I cast on the Caspian Sea Socks right?<br /><br />Nope, I cast on a tam.<br /><br />Huh? In my quest for the perfect ethnic slipper/sock at Rosie's on Saturday, <a href="http://the-ravelld-sleave.blogspot.com/">Bridget</a> came into the shop, and mentioned her finished Fair Isle Tam. I asked her if she could recommend a good Tam book, and she told me this one. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgieZHQCA-wnTYd0ckPv4e56sEIKVoxGvSmGYuGy4ljpCg7YJteDZZomJHzBHyjQAhryuTW8nWDRsyok_Z1lnhW92I2KoorIpq98jQ6N3CAeRrk7-7HxXQxacQDqTMenkshys6oCw/s1600-h/21ZgNsUpgEL._AA150_.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173556518499901954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgieZHQCA-wnTYd0ckPv4e56sEIKVoxGvSmGYuGy4ljpCg7YJteDZZomJHzBHyjQAhryuTW8nWDRsyok_Z1lnhW92I2KoorIpq98jQ6N3CAeRrk7-7HxXQxacQDqTMenkshys6oCw/s400/21ZgNsUpgEL._AA150_.jpg" border="0" /></a> Rosie's had one copy, and I got completely sucked in by the pretty pictures. Huh, wouldn't it be nice to have a tam that matches my mittens? Yes it would!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So, I cast on a tam, here's a blurry picture:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2_YSnkIwfR8m8r9zA55XPTQTNF-HMNe7EHETOaZLyGOi1-tZaP6r4V1LHdml1wzAR9nJTanqr-AZUsGGovwVqZav_j86bVUzPFs9jDx-N9dK9ClNIRQcN1WH8h9cShBHnOWWgQ/s1600-h/tam+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173557205694669330" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2_YSnkIwfR8m8r9zA55XPTQTNF-HMNe7EHETOaZLyGOi1-tZaP6r4V1LHdml1wzAR9nJTanqr-AZUsGGovwVqZav_j86bVUzPFs9jDx-N9dK9ClNIRQcN1WH8h9cShBHnOWWgQ/s400/tam+004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I used the same corrugated rib that's on the mitten, and the body is the pattern that is on the palm. I'm not sure about the wheel yet - I think I'm just going to do something from the book - I'm not sure if the swirlies from the mitten will do well in a decreasing pie wedge, but I may chart it out, and consider it.<br /><br />And mukluk fever? It's calmed down. Although I did check the vendor outside Anthropology at the corner of 18th and Walnut to see if perhaps she had imported mukluks among her ethnic knitted goodies, but no soap. I'll just have to knit them . . . maybe next.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-52347838974467640322008-02-27T22:14:00.000-08:002008-11-13T06:33:46.013-08:00Much Ado About Mittens<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPISApZ0V7tEiwoei00yvS202jU8Z_IYOD4zdgdbI7LjXYHM9TqcOo4Q9lDfsFpgLoOKM9xLgLXcDJiw-RRzZORBi_8tinZaJD11gNRob5-CMdeVnXum0fWVaDVTXRax5-AMh9w/s1600-h/daniellesbday+045.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171911473141184418" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPISApZ0V7tEiwoei00yvS202jU8Z_IYOD4zdgdbI7LjXYHM9TqcOo4Q9lDfsFpgLoOKM9xLgLXcDJiw-RRzZORBi_8tinZaJD11gNRob5-CMdeVnXum0fWVaDVTXRax5-AMh9w/s400/daniellesbday+045.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I had a plan when this winter began. I was going to knit mittens. I was intrigued with mittens. Selbuvotter had caught my eye, and I was fascinated with the intricate designs on the backs and palms of these mini canvases. These mittens really seemed to express personality - Poetry Mittens, Squirrels, abstract designs - and I saw myself making gift mittens, mittens that would be my personal Hallmark card. My messages through my mittens would be as clever as a fortune cookie, or perhaps as abstract as cave paintings, or modern day graffiti.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDmr2JIMH7mMTkqsrvaWm6ASQzWBgScadTl8HeQ4ptpWrn5yJJdU2KvpxmI6pttsS0Cw49EvAPd165N-8_1hplWAck70U8ZevvU_rCCjTV5klRTHIeLDEvLgs6Lk7kWxQzId9qQ/s1600-h/mittspalm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171911468846217106" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDmr2JIMH7mMTkqsrvaWm6ASQzWBgScadTl8HeQ4ptpWrn5yJJdU2KvpxmI6pttsS0Cw49EvAPd165N-8_1hplWAck70U8ZevvU_rCCjTV5klRTHIeLDEvLgs6Lk7kWxQzId9qQ/s400/mittspalm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The text of Selbuvotter described the mating rituals that became attached to the making of these mittens - tokens of affections, signs of friendship, talents at domesticity; Value as a wife and life partner were attached to these mittens. Oy the pressure!<br /><br />So, I freaked out . . . no mittens!<br /><br />But, the freak out period passed, and I returned to my Anemoi Mittens. I started these mittens back in October, and returned to them partly out of affection, once again embracing the mitten as an artform, and partly out of necessity - I lost my third pair of gloves this winter, and my hands are cold!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfF5ZDCxPHLKhGbiArxe_B6AFUxAomDvNCrwOy4AlHti8vqiToN-RlTt9UIHWoXOxbPK0ziqOKPnpXT9TCJACFTYBBZiOSBh8jMHkGmcGay9vQnW_PdOD6adsRYTKHX2na14qMVg/s1600-h/backs.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171911443076413282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfF5ZDCxPHLKhGbiArxe_B6AFUxAomDvNCrwOy4AlHti8vqiToN-RlTt9UIHWoXOxbPK0ziqOKPnpXT9TCJACFTYBBZiOSBh8jMHkGmcGay9vQnW_PdOD6adsRYTKHX2na14qMVg/s400/backs.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So, now they're done, so pretty I could put them in a picture frame. And, I've worn my mittens for a day now . . . and you know, they're just not that practical. I reevaluated the mitten.<br /><br />Why talents as a wife, or a homemaker, or a lover, or a friend, or a sister or a daughter, were ever attached to the ability to make something so impractical is really quite astonishing. You can't do anything with a mitten on - can't juggle your coffee, the newspaper, your files and your keys. Can't change the song on your iPod. Can't drive, probably, although I wouldn't know about that. So, then I started thinking - it can't be the finished product that had value - but the process.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiQTW2bkPLtUsbJyf1fC09kcbqxKkMP_tnVsexo52KbedfO1BJZHJNKOPfopdKCaau-OIZ78i6kHZfYkvr8Fy5dnW3xRFkUZUejOv1u_-C7e27O-_lGikt3wOSjKQu88QV2J-dA/s1600-h/palms.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171911451666347890" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiQTW2bkPLtUsbJyf1fC09kcbqxKkMP_tnVsexo52KbedfO1BJZHJNKOPfopdKCaau-OIZ78i6kHZfYkvr8Fy5dnW3xRFkUZUejOv1u_-C7e27O-_lGikt3wOSjKQu88QV2J-dA/s400/palms.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And looking at my bemittened hand, I became more enamored with my mittens.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR44g-Fhwt45VyxyLESF-ahyphenhyphenoZlsVrzR9JAe5fH4u6JEBsz-bJndx5Fk5PIIvoFtCe8Tv4DSdt81y7Wdn64Rr4n351kpNgYZhESIjzrstrfevzOzyiB-FDLIbPpsZH891Vq1sQNg/s1600-h/thumbs.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171911455961315202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR44g-Fhwt45VyxyLESF-ahyphenhyphenoZlsVrzR9JAe5fH4u6JEBsz-bJndx5Fk5PIIvoFtCe8Tv4DSdt81y7Wdn64Rr4n351kpNgYZhESIjzrstrfevzOzyiB-FDLIbPpsZH891Vq1sQNg/s400/thumbs.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />There was a time, and a place, and a prevailing attitude that had such a respect for the process of knitting, and the act of creating, that courtships would rise and fall, marriages would be decided, and friendships would be sealed. A sonnett - where design, tension, color were valued as much as rhyme, meter, and metaphor.<br /><br />Which brings it all back to me - my mittens will not be hallmark cards, or tokens of affection - only another knitter could read the love, affection, loyalty, commitment knit into every stitch in this day and age. And, since I'm not gifting mittens to all of my fellow knitters (sorry my dear Rosie's friends!), I'm just going to have to make them for myself, and my mitten art will decorate the world, but perhaps not speak to it in a way that asks for acceptance, or love, or appreciation, or conveys the same. Judge not my mittens! But, you can tell me they're pretty though!Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-63315928112975191662008-02-11T07:01:00.000-08:002008-11-13T06:33:46.814-08:00The Last Cast<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6u5uxBtvbKY9FMTihqm7EgXkb-bLhx7IUKHuWUoLBaywVum7y4Efxe2OMx2zH98Lbq57VBUkM-8wfeufYvC4VMylPHh8wKXAIxiQxrl_tuQU8aORnJpLwEus-rNzvohfXaEVT0w/s1600-h/carshow+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165738166322788114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6u5uxBtvbKY9FMTihqm7EgXkb-bLhx7IUKHuWUoLBaywVum7y4Efxe2OMx2zH98Lbq57VBUkM-8wfeufYvC4VMylPHh8wKXAIxiQxrl_tuQU8aORnJpLwEus-rNzvohfXaEVT0w/s400/carshow+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Mission accomplished - Kaffe is back on track! I guess . . . it kind of looks like poo to me, but I'm sure blocking will do wonders! Right? I can't even really tell you what's going on - there's a bit of Whiskey, Felted Tweed, Drops Alpaca, Rowan Scottish Tweed, and bits of other things in there - and as for the pattern, I'm just winging it. A little light here, a little dark there - throw some medium in - it's kind of the way I cook (which is probably why my Super Bowl chili, while absolutely delicious, did cause some digestive havoc). It's quite the hodge podge. I took it off the needles, and with a good blocking, it's going to fit - I think. If not, it will be a great gift for my skinny sister-in-law.<br /><br />And, I finished my Elizabeth Zimmerman Yoke Sweater.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGMMMN6GStWk-VgwRKAXtNE040lIEDufB-tJSeB5nBLIvBrGPmCiFznkG7_W9Qq2U7dUjgt3XUcnXyYLnAlebRuPquFptm-KOJAdUea55sDCV6H0RE7urb5_9uSOyFfTdVT8Fcg/s1600-h/2255579647_8122108288.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165741065425712978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGMMMN6GStWk-VgwRKAXtNE040lIEDufB-tJSeB5nBLIvBrGPmCiFznkG7_W9Qq2U7dUjgt3XUcnXyYLnAlebRuPquFptm-KOJAdUea55sDCV6H0RE7urb5_9uSOyFfTdVT8Fcg/s400/2255579647_8122108288.jpg" border="0" /></a> Can I tell you how warm and yummy this sweater is? And how EASY PEASY this sweater was to make. Start with some Cocoon, throw in some colorful Polar and Cascade 128 and voila! Originally, I was inspired by Kate's <a href="http://zeitgeistyarns.blogspot.com/2008/01/cold-hands-warm-heart.html">Cold Hearts Warm Hands Cardigan</a>. I loved the yarnny yarn - nothing fancy, just natural wool, with natural colors. So, my original color palette was all Cocoon - Tundra (the main color), Chocolate, White, Beige, Light Grey, and Dark Grey. I don't know what came over me, but I actually swatched the fair isle on one of the sleeves, and decided that the colors were too subtle, and while I was trying to be au naturel, it needed some color to make it pop. We had some Polar in the sale bin (the pinky purple color), and I threw in some Cascade 128 in a magenta - and here it is - and it was so EASY. There's nothing like going round and round on 9's. And, it's the exact fit I was going for - oversized, but not ridiculously gigantic. I've been practically sleeping in it for 3 days.<br /><br />Anyway, that's Mr. Tall standing next to me - as you can kind of see, I come up to about, oh, his shoulder - it's like walking next to a wall sometimes, but I'm getting used to it.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSIREcF22eJudztHRtLdQnjsr2EDcZgdEAuRHfbjylAo6KY2VjtYD5OFXqiu_o6lFgOz7hzHC8uxj5lTFORB3BWTWX59p6VSR7EXA0NybXVxhOt7aE6E1fDZHt2IA_PlputdhLA/s1600-h/carshow+015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165738973776639810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSIREcF22eJudztHRtLdQnjsr2EDcZgdEAuRHfbjylAo6KY2VjtYD5OFXqiu_o6lFgOz7hzHC8uxj5lTFORB3BWTWX59p6VSR7EXA0NybXVxhOt7aE6E1fDZHt2IA_PlputdhLA/s400/carshow+015.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I was so pleased with my first Knitting Workshop excursion, that I've started another EZ extravaganza. As I started talking about below, this is going to be a saddle shoulder sweater, with fair isle sleeves, and a solid body. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP4Ekx-MPwScuug0gcS9lTDWgnvwpoanB-O-GbmleSAPD-3ryT1LO01hYrDMm6k71yeOXeX4RNzNfdaIRQHO3nwFP77tZ-_06aHBsxRPVKHrWtG6i7dBLOtnwLXuH_brH3huNWyg/s1600-h/carshow+014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165738612999386930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP4Ekx-MPwScuug0gcS9lTDWgnvwpoanB-O-GbmleSAPD-3ryT1LO01hYrDMm6k71yeOXeX4RNzNfdaIRQHO3nwFP77tZ-_06aHBsxRPVKHrWtG6i7dBLOtnwLXuH_brH3huNWyg/s400/carshow+014.jpg" border="0" /></a> While the finished project looks fanastic in my head, I haven't quite visualized how I'm going to get there - as you can see, I'm going to have decisions to make when I get to joining the sleeves to the body. Am I going to do Intarsia in the round - I've been carrying an article from Interweave around in my bag all week, but I'm too scared to look at it. Or, will there be one long float across the sleeve, that I'll tack down as I go across the row. Or, will I knit flat, and sew the saddles in. I don't know - right now, I'm leaning towards the long floats that are woven in as I knit.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2nRllabF4iAUTAo0InpOyTukVhigXdZkz7bxKP2shaPm_N_8HiIlrlNo9sBeHLY8MoYgedzuWP7ebDZopXThH92bJ-k6WO5M7CfAJH8P6OkDSLpuFDZ54TG9djn_pkM0C8nmMcg/s1600-h/carshow+012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165738415430891298" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2nRllabF4iAUTAo0InpOyTukVhigXdZkz7bxKP2shaPm_N_8HiIlrlNo9sBeHLY8MoYgedzuWP7ebDZopXThH92bJ-k6WO5M7CfAJH8P6OkDSLpuFDZ54TG9djn_pkM0C8nmMcg/s400/carshow+012.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The sewing - that's run far behind in third - dreaded seams!<br /><br />And, this Saddle Shoulder creation, my friends, is going to be the last thing I cast on this winter. I mean it, truly. I went through all of my unfinished projects, and while I'm not nuts enough to believe that I can get them all done - I've made a queue, and I'm determined to clear some of them out - Monster Manos Blanket, the Tangled Yoke cardigan, stalled midway through the second sleeve, Martha, in a holding pattern 3/4's of the way through the back, a slipstitch cardigan from Vogue that I started years ago, that is only 2 inches away from being finished, the Anemoi mittens, and the Frankenmitts. Oh, there are more - but that's the finishing pile - by June. Of course, there's always that Maryland Sheep and Wool excursion that could throw me from my course - but that's still a good bit away. And, since I did the Auto Show with Mr. Tall this weekend, and I don't drive, I think he will be doing MSW with me in May - and that will, alas, probably curb my spending. Well, not so probably, probably definitely . . .Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15230386.post-30599838057021858112008-02-01T09:38:00.000-08:002008-11-13T06:33:47.969-08:00UpdatesOk, I just wrote a gigantic post of updates - restaurant week reviews, knitting updates, etc. and somehow, I deleted the whole thing!!! Its that new autosave function - uch!!!!<br /><br />Anyway, I'm going to skip the restaurant reviews - I just can't bring myself to write them all over again. Let's just leave it as I'm really fat - I ate at Upstairs at Varalli's Monday (which was really downstairs at Sotto, which was abig disappointment because my whole plan was to have a great, romantic view of Broad Street), Amada Tuesday, Wednesday was a day of food coma, Thursday was Bliss (and Avenue Q - go see it!), and Friday was Xochitl. Saturday was Chinese New Year, and fried food galore, and Sunday I made super awesome chili and cornbread for the Superbowl - mmm mmm good!<br /><br />Ok, so there you have it. Now to the knitting update, which I had just started typing, so it's not going to quite kill me to do it again.<br /><br />For a few weeks, I felt like the biggest loser knitter. I just wasn't getting anything done. And, it wasn't the typical, I'm not finishing anything because I keep casting on - it was I'm not finishing anything because I keep messing up. And, because I came up with the bright idea to do a Kaffe Fassett workshop at Rosie's, and then found myself in the position of actually having to knit a Kaffe project - something that had never been on my radar.<br /><br />But, first the mess ups - the lace. Ah, poor Spring Shawl Surprice. By the middle of clue 2 or was it 3? I realized that the fill pattern was <a href="http://knitandthecity.blogspot.com/2007/09/war-what-is-it-good-for.html">this </a>dreaded pattern, my nemesis from the red shawl. For some reason, even though I know this pattern kicks my ass, I decided to work on it while I was working at the shop - big mistake - no amount of unknitting the one row has been able to fix it - at least 3 rows are going to have to come out, so I've tossed it aside in frustration.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xjqyCgoqw7rxbsSea8t1GniXkmYxVAJ4QSuvUb2FrHSiIXyK30ZnmFKyc54a9vkHiz_7-hR2JQ_MBdxeL_BF2PfYPyRLl2MfEsTqgpwFN4ETbRYCRzOfx8vsA1Ut2z_3tp0iwg/s1600-h/update+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163141999292919490" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xjqyCgoqw7rxbsSea8t1GniXkmYxVAJ4QSuvUb2FrHSiIXyK30ZnmFKyc54a9vkHiz_7-hR2JQ_MBdxeL_BF2PfYPyRLl2MfEsTqgpwFN4ETbRYCRzOfx8vsA1Ut2z_3tp0iwg/s400/update+016.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I also started Irtfa, in the recommended yarn, Laci, from Blue Moon, from the Raven colorway series. I forget what color this is, but it's in the blue family: Anyway, this is also on hold, in favor of the Kaffe project, and others - I finished the first chart, and have a bit done of the second, nothing tragic, other than it's just hibernating.<br /><br />And the Kaffe project - you can read about the inception of my project, Little Circles, <a href="http://rosieblogs.blogspot.com/2008/01/krazy-kolors-class-preview.html">here</a>. I cast on, and the knitting is laborious, to say the least. I'm not the best stranded knitter to begin with, and this pattern has three colors per row, and as Elizabeth Zimmerman says, any pattern with more than 2 colors per row should be viewed with suspicion - because there's just no need. Here here Elizabeth! <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDXwpC46UyR2JpNNqDrwHNP8IY20lgPoh2-eLE7ry8nYiZLNl6WURIjWVD52xHPsTGbDUkXL6h5O2l65khflfjai0K2VPaAlzcGYBFsR-76hP9-_ePoWiUTwoygZsPCYHaYCeU1Q/s1600-h/update+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163143042969972434" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDXwpC46UyR2JpNNqDrwHNP8IY20lgPoh2-eLE7ry8nYiZLNl6WURIjWVD52xHPsTGbDUkXL6h5O2l65khflfjai0K2VPaAlzcGYBFsR-76hP9-_ePoWiUTwoygZsPCYHaYCeU1Q/s400/update+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />After four stripes of bubbles I put the work down, and thought about it - and I hated it. I hated working with different yarn - I didn't like the texture/weight changes. I didn't like how it looked. I didn't like that it appeared to be REALLY small, even though my gauge and my stitch no. should have been making it big enough. I really really wanted to just rip it out - or take a scissors to it and slash it into a million pieces. But, I didn't, I put it aside, and I started again. This time with Jamison spindrift, in the colors from Autumn Rose. I figured, I like Autumn rose, there's the same number of colors - it'll work.<br />Eh, not so much. The problem is that while there are many 2 color combinations that work well together, there aren't that many 3 color combinations that play well together in a way that you can actually see the bubble blobs.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSyokM-9EPGWPrqdf6G5Gz380Dy3q_JvzfMZ8NFkH2cOXnk_rEVfH3Zv2Jgb8eIqvSQ9eopFfoKNc8mBa5__tY4ca46nPtmuS9M5BYXMDF8vxpL-UAV_H0maMSyuU1aX5WinmiA/s1600-h/update+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163144408769572594" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSyokM-9EPGWPrqdf6G5Gz380Dy3q_JvzfMZ8NFkH2cOXnk_rEVfH3Zv2Jgb8eIqvSQ9eopFfoKNc8mBa5__tY4ca46nPtmuS9M5BYXMDF8vxpL-UAV_H0maMSyuU1aX5WinmiA/s400/update+004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />What to do? I already returned the yarn for the first incarnation - well, the ones that I hadn't busted open the ball bands. But, that's not such a big deal - I had ended up with colors that I liked, plus colors Lisa, Courtney and Kate liked - too many hands in the pie, I think, because I ended up with some colors that I just don't like, or didn't work - specifically, the blue in the ribbing section. So, I think I'm going to set aside incarnation 2, and save the yarn to actually knit Autumn Rose. Then, I'm going to take No. 1 off the needles and block it, as Courtney warned me was really the only true solution. And, if it's going to work size wise, I'm going to rip out the ribbing, and leave a provisional cast-on there, and knit down after the thing is finished.<br /><br />Or, I'm going to pick a different Kaffe project . . .<br /><br />So, what better to solve my knitting frustrations but the maniacally large Manos blanket. Can you believe it - I messed that up too! <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdORQN12BIumsGtt2KnOZA9kua_dYwFPud8GG90eEMv7o_F31Hka4IJKcvAcp5-Ws1UPGrXrs7FZauHY_Ycb1X9fj97m5bEwuVRJvaxl6Eq1AphQkDoUzY7-aNUjU9nOui3oUR1g/s1600-h/update+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163147793203801874" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdORQN12BIumsGtt2KnOZA9kua_dYwFPud8GG90eEMv7o_F31Hka4IJKcvAcp5-Ws1UPGrXrs7FZauHY_Ycb1X9fj97m5bEwuVRJvaxl6Eq1AphQkDoUzY7-aNUjU9nOui3oUR1g/s400/update+010.jpg" border="0" /></a> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />See that multi, large square that I'm working on now - at the bottom edge. Well, instead of picking up the first edge, and casting on the second edge, I picked up the first edge and the second edge, and I didn't notice until I had finished knitting that entire gigantic square. AAHHHH!!!! I couldn't even do that right. So, I tossed that aside too.<br /><br />And, instead of resurrecting something, I opted for something foolproof - an Elizabeth Zimmerman yoke sweater. I had originally thought I would stick my own fair isle design on the yoke, but considering how woeful freestyle knitting was going, I opted to use the one she had in the book:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLryDwoE7nARhkGJx0wDdvrhqe2ze7xDrK-b13GXHSVPSlpAwBb97O1bnWao3r-6uyCWwKk4yUzxgsjFMn9hR0d9rKXIQyrX0Gn0DFSMXNql_mSfT_-1_8WUs75dCkDSQX0EnJ-A/s1600-h/update+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163148695146934050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLryDwoE7nARhkGJx0wDdvrhqe2ze7xDrK-b13GXHSVPSlpAwBb97O1bnWao3r-6uyCWwKk4yUzxgsjFMn9hR0d9rKXIQyrX0Gn0DFSMXNql_mSfT_-1_8WUs75dCkDSQX0EnJ-A/s400/update+005.jpg" border="0" /></a> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I knit this in Rowan's Cocoon. I had originally planned to do it all in Cocoon, with the fair isle pattern being subtle shades of browns, naturals and greys. But, it was too subtle, and I threw in some Polar (the purpley pink), and some Cascade 128 (the magenta). Since taking this picture on Friday, I finished the sweater over the weekend. The ends are woven in, and it just needs to be blocked. And, of course since it's warm and yummy and cozy, it's supposed to be in the 50's all week, so it's unlikely I'll get a wearing in immediately, as is needed, right? In any event, pictures sometime this week.<br /><br />So, now that the EPS yoke is done, it's back to the Kaffe (whatever that may be), and, um, I bought yarn for another Elizabeth EPS sweater - this time the saddle shoulder sweater. I have this idea in my head to do the sleeves of this:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRklt2TUmZR_RXhE4bltXhFL5MQGB0nu1HH2buBBfdm2CWJ-nX-t3DLXDs_-0pWaPlK0AnbQGWjSrsDrEUNeukMX0YpdxKQfLbDiQGhGkaHdJLgjBV5P7eYoYalpNQbu-j_77E9g/s1600-h/RannochDress1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163151912077438770" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRklt2TUmZR_RXhE4bltXhFL5MQGB0nu1HH2buBBfdm2CWJ-nX-t3DLXDs_-0pWaPlK0AnbQGWjSrsDrEUNeukMX0YpdxKQfLbDiQGhGkaHdJLgjBV5P7eYoYalpNQbu-j_77E9g/s400/RannochDress1.jpg" border="0" /></a>, with the fair isle continuing on the saddle, with a solid body. This, of course, will require some intarsia when the sleeves are joined to the body, and some flat knitting, when the saddles are knit, but I think it'll be neato. We'll see. Between the two ends of the spectrum - Kaffe and Elizabeth - I'm in the Zimmerman camp at the moment.<br /><br />So, that's the update. Still in project limbo are the Tangled Yoke Cardigan (body and sleeves knit, trepidation about starting the cable), Martha (back 3/4's done, just not enough time in the world, and it's not stirring my imagination), and a host of forgotten things -<br /><br />Goal for this week? Get Kaffe back on track, whatever track that may be. Right now, it feels like a train to no where, and I'd be happy just to get to Hoboken.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892795256613235278noreply@blogger.com5