Starts and Finishes

I’ve finished two pairs of socks. That’s why I love socks. They are so portable I have lots of opportunities to work on them so they get finished really quickly. I didn’t know these Handsome Devils Socks were in Greenbay Packers colors but they do look good. The Spring Forward socks are from Knitty. These were the fastest socks ever, only taking me one week to knit. Now I’ve really decided to get in gear and finish some holiday presents. I’ve had yarn and patterns waiting for me but kept procrastinating. So I started a Better Bucket hat in Bobby Blue for my sister and a Half-Pipe Hat in leftover Peruvia for my son. I just have to master the Tubular Cast-on and I’ve been practicing it.

I also started Loppem from the new Norah Gaughan, volume 3. I couldn’t wait to get this book with its lovely and unusual patterns so I ordered it directly from Berroco and got it in three days. However, this pattern had so many errors that I ripped it out and decided to wait. Nothing seems to be test knitted anymore. If the public has to test knit something, the pattern should be free. I don’t mind paying for a pattern but I expect it is be as error free as possible. Berroco still hasn’t posted all the corrections called for.
On another of my Friday trips to New York City I visited the Met and MOMA. I loved Jeff Koons Balloon Dog (Yellow) on the roof of the Met and this room called “I only see things when they move” in the exhibit of works by Olafur Eliasson at MOMA. That man on the floor was trying to figure out how it worked, as were most of us. I am so lucky to live so close to the city!

A Friday in New York

We are now on summer hours at work so we work long hours all week and have Fridays off. I spent last Friday wandering around Manhattan heading towards the Battery Maritime Building where an installation by David Byrne from the Talking Heads was on view. It was totally wonderful. An old organ was wired into the building and playing it made all kinds of sounds. Everyone was smiling and playing. It was hard to drag myself away.
Unfortunately, earlier in the day I broke one of the circular needles from my Handsome Devils Socks and I wanted to knit on the bus going home, so the rest of the day was spent finding a replacement. I had never visited Seaport Yarns before and was very pleasantly surprised. Their yarn selection was outstanding. They had everything. I know because the nice owner gave me a personal tour of the entire store. Although they didn’t have the exact needle I needed they had a serviceable replacement. The owner suggested I stop at the World Financial Center to see the marine-like crocheted and knitted forms on display there and I did. I think it was called Under the Sea or something like that. I had never seen anything like it before.

By Saturday I couldn’t move because I had done so much walking the day before, but I was determined to KIP for Knit in Public Day so my husband drove me to Montclair, New Jersey for a little sidewalk knitting outside Modern Yarn. It was hot and humid but I still had a wonderful time. The hardest part was resisting all the great bargains on the sales table in front of the store. My stash is overflowing the room where I keep it so, even though it was hard, I walked away.

Heat Wave

I finished all the ribbed pieces for the sweater Quarry but am I seaming them together? No. We have just had a four day heat spell and it was 96 degrees but it felt like at least 105. The air conditioner broke at work and it was horrible. So even though it is suppose to be slightly cooler today I have put sewing them aside, maybe until fall.

I like to have a little collection of pre-knitted baby items all ready for gifting. I just gave my son my last Baby Surprise Jacket as a gift for one of his friends so I’ve started a new one. These Elisabeth Zimmerman creations are perfect for using up stash. This is left over Cotton-Ease from various summer sweaters I’ve made over the years. I like to give these for boys and February Sweaters for girls.

I’ve also finally been tempted again by socks. I decided last year to stop knitting them because I hardly ever wear them. They always make my feet too hot. But this Six Sock Knit-along selection called Handsome Devil Socks was just too intriguing to pass up. It uses a slipped stitch technique that is so much fun. I’m using size 1 needles for the first time and it is taking me a little longer but the socks feel so nice. I’d forgotten how nice it is to knit a small project like this with no heavy wool hanging in your lap in the summer.

Something New

I finished my Lace Ribbon Scarf and the sides roll in terribly, maybe because it is cotton. When I wear it, every once in a while I take it off and try to smooth it out, but the sides roll right back in when I put in on again. I love this pattern though and the color is so me.
I’ve started a new project but I’m not that optimistic about it. I always buy Rowan books and never make anything from them. So I decided to really make an effort and when I saw Quarry it just looked so simple and elegant. I was surprised to see that it was that it was not a cardigan but a pullover. However, it looked like great mindless knitting. It is just continuous ribbing, perfect for the car or lunchtime at work. There were mixed reviews on Ravelry, but I used some stash burgundy Chaco and decided to give it a try. The seaming might be tricky but I have already finished the back and one front.

Indecision

Knitting here has slowed down considerably. I just can’t make a decision. I keep buying magazines and looking at web sites but nothing really appeals to me. Do I want a sleeveless summer shell or a cotton cardigan? Do I want to use some wool from my stash or will it be too warm to knit right now? So I am making another Lace Ribbon Scarf, this time in some cotton that I found in my yarn storage room. It is on a cone so it is probably from Silk City, but I don’t remember it at all. Cotton is so rough to knit with but I really like the color and, of course, the pattern rocks. Scarves and socks are perfect for when I can't decide on a project.

I finished Square Cake, a lovely small evening bag from Knitty, because I need it for a wedding. I used stash yarn and that felt good. In fact, I should try to use only yarn from my stash for the summer. I have so much. That means I cannot walk into a yarn store because I have absolutely no willpower and yarn is so yummy and impossible to resist. Anyway, I ordered some Debbie Bliss Cotton Cashmere last year for a baby sweater but I never used it. I combined it with some classy gold thread from Silk City Fibers. I think I got that for free at one of their giveaways with purchase. I am really pleased with the bag. I bought the lining in the garment center in NYC. I just walked into a fabric store near the Port Authority and asked for gold lining fabric and it was $2.00 a yard. What a bargain!

Springtime Knitting

I’ve spent most of this week trying to decide what to knit next. I finished the Lace Ribbon Scarf and am very pleased with it, but it has gotten too warm to wear it now. I thought I would make another one in cotton but nothing in the right color was in the right gauge and I wanted to use my stash. I looked through magazines, books, Ravelry and web sites for patterns. I really don’t wear summer sweaters and it is too hot already to knit with wool. I have a ton of scarves, socks, mittens and hats. So I decided to make a bag.
At the last wedding I went to I carried a hard metal case clutch bag and it actually shed all over my black skirt. Little flecks of gold were all over everything. I couldn’t even figure out where it was shedding from. Also, it was too small to carry anything after I put in my camera and lip gloss. So I searched all over and found the pattern for Square Cake from Knitty. Instead of using the Tilli Thomas Disco Lights, a yarn with sequins, I found some Debbie Bliss Cotton Cashmere in a soft green in my stash and combined it with a strand from an old cone of metallic gold called Callenzano from Silk City Fibers. The gauge is right and I am making it in the smaller size. Cotton is not as dressy as silk would be but it may pass. If the bag comes out great but it is not sleek enough, I may spring for the Tilli Thomas and make another one. A trip to Montclair where there are two great yarn stores is not too much trouble for me at all. The bag is a fast knit and I don’t need it until the end of June anyway. It may also make a nice holiday gift for someone at work.
A colleague and I bought new tiny digital voice recorders for work. Last weekend I made a few sock covers for them. They were really quick and I was able to use some leftover Socks that Rock. The hardest part was finding D-rings to attach so we can keep them on our key rings.

Two Years, Let's Celebrate

Today is my two year blogiversary. Hooray! I’ve kept up for two years, although I have been lagging a bit in posting lately. My son helped me start this blog because I wanted to join in swaps and KALs and I needed one to join them. Now I look at this as a way to link with the thousands of other knitters and bloggers around the world. I actually spend more time on Ravelry than on this blog, but I like knowing it is here and I can show my FOs and share some stories and pictures with my friends and family. Two years has been both a long time and the blink of an eye. My life and circumstances haven’t changed that much, which is for the best. I did try a few new knitting techniques and projects. I have, I hope, mastered lace and finished two lovely stoles, even if I have slow down if I don’t want mistakes. I’ve also discovered luxury yarns, for better or worse. Somehow I can’t even touch acrylic anymore and Malabrigo is the yarn of choice. I made a cashmere hat and hope to be able to use more of that in the future. I’ve tried silk blends and even sea silk, but I love to knit with wool the best. I’ll keep trying to find a lightweight summer yarn though. Cotton is usually just too stiff but I intend to try some new blends.
My immediate goal is to try to reduce my stash. I’ve got a lot of basic wool yarn and a few odd balls of interesting Noro and some blends. It is so tempting to buy more, especially since I may visit the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival for the first time and will probably go to Rhinebeck again this year. Also, I have discovered two lovely yarn stores in Montclair, NJ, about a half hour from my home, and they both have great selections of tempting yarn. I have a bad habit of keeping every last little piece of every yarn associated with every project. All these little odds and ends and left over extra skeins have made my house pretty messy. I’ll try to part with some of these soon, just not yet!
So here I am, hopefully for at least a few years more. And here is my latest project, my finished Mr. Greenjeans cardigan from Knitty. It took a backseat for a while due to Malabrigo March and I had to force myself to take it up again but I am glad I did. It is very comfortable and was certainly easy to make, thanks to almost no finishing. Sometimes sweaters made in the round seem like they will take forever but when they are finished it is a pleasure.
I don't want to forget to add a thank you to my husband for most of these lovely pictures, and also for the pride and appreciation he shows at every thing I make. Oh yes, and for driving me to every yarn store and festival I can find.
So here is to a lot more finished objects in the future, and to all of you who read this blog. I don’t know who is out there, but I am sure it is a friend.