Thursday, April 24, 2008
Oops! Not this really IS embarassing....
No sooner had I pushed the button to publish my last, very, very long delayed post, but I got an email response from younger bro, saying....no he meant the blog my employer publishes, not my personal blog!
Long time no write....
Well, I just had a brief email exchange with my younger brother, who says he and his son have enjoyed reading my blog. My blog? How did they know I had a blog? And for goodness sake, why would anyone other than me read my blog? I viewed it as simply another, probably vain, attempt to keep a diary, albeit a theoretically public one. But I didn't really expect anyone to read it! Much less anyone I knew!
So, I've been shamed into posting again. And indeed there is a lot I should somehow document so that when I am old and gray, or perhaps I should say older and grayer, I can read it and remember what life was like.
I'm enjoying my knitting again this spring. Once the mad rush of must-do Christmas presents were over, I got to make some things for me again. I nearly finished the asymetrical cardigan of Noro Blossom, but stopped and packed it away till next winter when I realized it was too tight across the hips. The story of my life. Maybe by next fall, another round of Weight Watchers will have melted some away?
But I did finish two small felted bags, a lovely soft ruana of Noro Kochoran, another braided cable hat (for Meg to match the one for her daughter Greta), and I'm nearly done with Nora Gaughan's cabaret raglan sweater, actually using the recommended yarn. (I made a great score on Herrschners on the Reynold's Cabaret yarn.) I'm now swatching some Takhi Shibu from my stash to see if it wants to be some version of an empire waisted summer top with lace panels in the bottom. I'm not sure--the Shibu, which is mostly silk, but raw silk, like silk noile--is rather limp.
On other fronts, I'm getting some good laughs (along with heartburn) from my son's romantic antics. Apparently, I've raised a 15 year old Don Juan. (When I mentioned this to him, he asked "Who's Don Juan?"). He has a girl in the Philly area whom he meets on weekends when he gets leave from school and another in the Leesburg, Va area that he claims to be going out with, though they've only set eyes on each other once. The rest of their relationship is entirely electronic....IM, texting, phone calls and Face book. It's interesting that the electronic age has in some ways brought back correspondence as a means of courtship.
Shockingly, he actually asked me what I thought he should do...stick with the Leesburg girl whom he won't see until summertime (and then I'm not sure how often, since Leesburg is at least 45 minutes away and neither of them are old enough to drive) or with the local girl whom he can see on weekends now. Meanwhile, I'm still conducting my own email correspondence with the young lady who was their predecessor but who seems to have the common sense to realize that she is way too young for any kind of one-on-one commitment.
Ah to be 15 and "in love" again....
So, I've been shamed into posting again. And indeed there is a lot I should somehow document so that when I am old and gray, or perhaps I should say older and grayer, I can read it and remember what life was like.
I'm enjoying my knitting again this spring. Once the mad rush of must-do Christmas presents were over, I got to make some things for me again. I nearly finished the asymetrical cardigan of Noro Blossom, but stopped and packed it away till next winter when I realized it was too tight across the hips. The story of my life. Maybe by next fall, another round of Weight Watchers will have melted some away?
But I did finish two small felted bags, a lovely soft ruana of Noro Kochoran, another braided cable hat (for Meg to match the one for her daughter Greta), and I'm nearly done with Nora Gaughan's cabaret raglan sweater, actually using the recommended yarn. (I made a great score on Herrschners on the Reynold's Cabaret yarn.) I'm now swatching some Takhi Shibu from my stash to see if it wants to be some version of an empire waisted summer top with lace panels in the bottom. I'm not sure--the Shibu, which is mostly silk, but raw silk, like silk noile--is rather limp.
On other fronts, I'm getting some good laughs (along with heartburn) from my son's romantic antics. Apparently, I've raised a 15 year old Don Juan. (When I mentioned this to him, he asked "Who's Don Juan?"). He has a girl in the Philly area whom he meets on weekends when he gets leave from school and another in the Leesburg, Va area that he claims to be going out with, though they've only set eyes on each other once. The rest of their relationship is entirely electronic....IM, texting, phone calls and Face book. It's interesting that the electronic age has in some ways brought back correspondence as a means of courtship.
Shockingly, he actually asked me what I thought he should do...stick with the Leesburg girl whom he won't see until summertime (and then I'm not sure how often, since Leesburg is at least 45 minutes away and neither of them are old enough to drive) or with the local girl whom he can see on weekends now. Meanwhile, I'm still conducting my own email correspondence with the young lady who was their predecessor but who seems to have the common sense to realize that she is way too young for any kind of one-on-one commitment.
Ah to be 15 and "in love" again....
Saturday, November 10, 2007
knitting and stashing addiction
OK, this knitting business is getting out of hand. My friends and family are going to have arrange an intervention soon. If I am not knitting, playing with my yarn, buying more yarn or at least planning a knitting project, I'm just not happy anymore. I'd rather knit than clean my house, weed the garden, mow the lawn, grocery shop, pay bills, do the laundry or do any of the mundane but necessary tasks that keep us from degenerating into sloth. Well, that's sort of a given, right? Who LIKES doing that stuff?
But I would also rather knit than go to to work, see a movie, read a book, meet up with friends (unless they're knitting friends that is), sleep, shop (except for yarn), cook or even eat. If sex were a viable option in my life right now, I'd probably rather knit than have sex too. As it is, the choice doesn't arise.
I have accumulated an admirable stash, considering that I haven't been knitting that long. I have at least a dozen major projects stored up, not to mention the scores of two and three skein bundles in my stash, just "in case." I HATE that I can't knit faster. I can't wait to get to the next project. I know some people are purely "process" knitters who don't care about finishing, once they've conquered a technique or gotten their fill of a particular yarn. I seem to be some combination of process and product knitter, combining the worst attributes of each. I am constantly eager to start something new, to try a new stitch, see what a new yarn looks like knit up, learn a new technique. But I don't actually like knitting for knitting's sake. I want to see something for my efforts. I can't wait to see the sweater blocked and ready to wear, the scarf bound off, the hat finished. So I'm never content with where I am...always hurrying to finish what I'm doing and eager to get on to the next project. I suppose that's the way I am about most everything in my life...never content to be where I am, always restless to move on to something else, something, possibly, better.
But I would also rather knit than go to to work, see a movie, read a book, meet up with friends (unless they're knitting friends that is), sleep, shop (except for yarn), cook or even eat. If sex were a viable option in my life right now, I'd probably rather knit than have sex too. As it is, the choice doesn't arise.
I have accumulated an admirable stash, considering that I haven't been knitting that long. I have at least a dozen major projects stored up, not to mention the scores of two and three skein bundles in my stash, just "in case." I HATE that I can't knit faster. I can't wait to get to the next project. I know some people are purely "process" knitters who don't care about finishing, once they've conquered a technique or gotten their fill of a particular yarn. I seem to be some combination of process and product knitter, combining the worst attributes of each. I am constantly eager to start something new, to try a new stitch, see what a new yarn looks like knit up, learn a new technique. But I don't actually like knitting for knitting's sake. I want to see something for my efforts. I can't wait to see the sweater blocked and ready to wear, the scarf bound off, the hat finished. So I'm never content with where I am...always hurrying to finish what I'm doing and eager to get on to the next project. I suppose that's the way I am about most everything in my life...never content to be where I am, always restless to move on to something else, something, possibly, better.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
What was I thinking?
It's true. I've gotten cocky about my knitting--thinking I can do anything, if I just work at it. It's not true. These Tiffany mittens are a real challenge. I've had a terrible time getting started properly on them and now that I'm pretty well into the first one, I can't figure out a comfortable way to read the charts. I guess my short-term memory is shot, because the best I seem to be able to do is glance at the chart, repeat to myself, three pink, one blue, two pink, then try to remember those six stitches long enough to do them. And then repeat the process with the next six stitches. It takes forever.
Just getting started on them proved difficult. I had decided to try doing them "toe-up", reversing the pattern instructions, because I have an aversion to Kitchner-ing and I think the magic cast-on for toes--or fingers in this case--is, well, magic. Plus I figured, I could wait to decide exactly how to arrange the colors in the cuff until I could see exactly how the palm part of the mitten looked.
Start number one: Way too small. About 10 rows in, I realized my guage was way too tight, despite having swatched. Start number two: Way too messy. Don't know what went wrong, but it looked bad. Start number three: Ahh, success at last...the knitting was neat, the cast on perfect and the pattern falling into place. I thought so, at least, until the next day when I tried to pick up where I had stopped. I couldn't quite figure out where I was in the pattern. After puzzling over it for 10 or 15 minutes, counting and recounting stitches and colors. I realized....wait, I have 68 stitches on the needles. I should only have 60. How I managed this I do not know. How I managed this and still thought I was "on pattern", I really don't know.
So start four: I gave up on reversing the direction and started with the cuff. And, well, it's OK. In two evenings, I finished the cuff of one mitten and am about to start on the palm portion. Only thing: I somehow did the cuff pattern upside down. But I figure, it's nearly symetrical and abstract in any case, so it looks fine to me. Just hope my secret mitten pal doesn't compare the picture on Knitty with my execution too closely!
Just getting started on them proved difficult. I had decided to try doing them "toe-up", reversing the pattern instructions, because I have an aversion to Kitchner-ing and I think the magic cast-on for toes--or fingers in this case--is, well, magic. Plus I figured, I could wait to decide exactly how to arrange the colors in the cuff until I could see exactly how the palm part of the mitten looked.
Start number one: Way too small. About 10 rows in, I realized my guage was way too tight, despite having swatched. Start number two: Way too messy. Don't know what went wrong, but it looked bad. Start number three: Ahh, success at last...the knitting was neat, the cast on perfect and the pattern falling into place. I thought so, at least, until the next day when I tried to pick up where I had stopped. I couldn't quite figure out where I was in the pattern. After puzzling over it for 10 or 15 minutes, counting and recounting stitches and colors. I realized....wait, I have 68 stitches on the needles. I should only have 60. How I managed this I do not know. How I managed this and still thought I was "on pattern", I really don't know.
So start four: I gave up on reversing the direction and started with the cuff. And, well, it's OK. In two evenings, I finished the cuff of one mitten and am about to start on the palm portion. Only thing: I somehow did the cuff pattern upside down. But I figure, it's nearly symetrical and abstract in any case, so it looks fine to me. Just hope my secret mitten pal doesn't compare the picture on Knitty with my execution too closely!
Saturday, November 3, 2007
mitten exchange
Got another messsage from my secret mitten maker, who has given me two big hints on her identity. She's somewhere that is expecting a Noreaster this weekend (which I think means somewhere north of Washington on the East Coast...I'll have to check the weather channel to see exactly where the storm is expected to come ashore.) And she works in an ER.
I've finally been assigned a recipient for my mitten endeavors, so spent part of today at two local yarn shops, buying the rest of the yarn I need to make her mittens. I think I'm going to make the Tiffany ones from Knitty, which makes me feel like a cop-out. I sort of feel that I should be doing something different, but they really are SO pretty and they'll look so good in the colors she likes!
I've finally been assigned a recipient for my mitten endeavors, so spent part of today at two local yarn shops, buying the rest of the yarn I need to make her mittens. I think I'm going to make the Tiffany ones from Knitty, which makes me feel like a cop-out. I sort of feel that I should be doing something different, but they really are SO pretty and they'll look so good in the colors she likes!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Another first: my first comment on my blog! My secret mitten pal--the one is writing for me--is reading the blog. It's a little intimidating to think of someone else reading. I tend to think of this as a sort of diary, rather than as something other people might actually read. Hmmm, need to remember not to post about the Haagen Dazs binges!
I still haven't heard back form my secret mitten pal--the recipient of my handiwork--so I haven't started her mittens. Hopefully within another few days either she'll surface or I'll be assigned another partner. Not that I anticipate geting very far with hter mittens quickly. My rather ambitious Christmas knitting projects are taking longer than I had hoped. Progress report so far:
Felted traveling jewelry cases, etc: knit and felted, need zippers and linings sewn in.
Loop-de-loop corkscrew scarf and hat for Nora: knit, but crocheted edging needs ripping out and redone in the right yarn
Fringed scarf in peach/brown/ivory self-striping for Devon (?), finished. Matching hat needs seam sewed.
Green and black Cascade 220 felted men's clogs for Helmut, finished.
Aubergine Lamb's Pride and rust/aubergine Soho women's clogs for Ulla, knit. Need sewing and felting
Greta's Aran sweater and hat: Hope to sew raglan seams and add colllar today.
Plymouth grey-blue tweed Dashing fingerless mitts for Brad, one done, one just started
Cotton lace shawl/scarf for Mom, cast on and 2 rows done.
Brooks Farm Primero scarf for Katrina, haven't even ordered Knitpicks options needles yet!
Green Ultra Alpaca celtic cable scrarf for Denny, not started.
Dr. Who scarf for Martin, still need to buy remaining Debbie Bliss Casharan yarns.
Knitty's Wisp scarf/capelet for Meg, not started.
Geoff's socks. Also not started.
Sigh. Can I make it? I don't know. One distraction is that I keep working on the Noro Kochoran ruana for me when I should be Christmas knitting. Still, I think I can both finish it AND do the Christmas knitting as long as the shawls don't bag me down. It wouldn't really be terrible if I couldn't finish Katrina's shawl in time. We don't ualways exchange Christmas gifts in any case. I find I haven't much interest in doing the shawl/scarf for Mom. I really don't like knitting in the cotton. There's so little give that it's not much fun to work with. But it's what she needs for Florida, particularly since the other two shawls I've made for her are heavier. I did see a pattern by Lucy Neatby that I'm contemplating switching to. It looks from the picture and description to be simply short rows, fanned out from the neck. They start fairly short with the "ties" of the shawl and lengthen towad the back. I think the shape would work well for Mom, easily staying on and would probably look in the variegated yarn I've bought. And the simple garter stitch would be easy. But I'd rather liked the idea of doing something in a lace pattern, to make it seem a bit more special. Think I'll let it marinate for a while.
I still haven't heard back form my secret mitten pal--the recipient of my handiwork--so I haven't started her mittens. Hopefully within another few days either she'll surface or I'll be assigned another partner. Not that I anticipate geting very far with hter mittens quickly. My rather ambitious Christmas knitting projects are taking longer than I had hoped. Progress report so far:
Felted traveling jewelry cases, etc: knit and felted, need zippers and linings sewn in.
Loop-de-loop corkscrew scarf and hat for Nora: knit, but crocheted edging needs ripping out and redone in the right yarn
Fringed scarf in peach/brown/ivory self-striping for Devon (?), finished. Matching hat needs seam sewed.
Green and black Cascade 220 felted men's clogs for Helmut, finished.
Aubergine Lamb's Pride and rust/aubergine Soho women's clogs for Ulla, knit. Need sewing and felting
Greta's Aran sweater and hat: Hope to sew raglan seams and add colllar today.
Plymouth grey-blue tweed Dashing fingerless mitts for Brad, one done, one just started
Cotton lace shawl/scarf for Mom, cast on and 2 rows done.
Brooks Farm Primero scarf for Katrina, haven't even ordered Knitpicks options needles yet!
Green Ultra Alpaca celtic cable scrarf for Denny, not started.
Dr. Who scarf for Martin, still need to buy remaining Debbie Bliss Casharan yarns.
Knitty's Wisp scarf/capelet for Meg, not started.
Geoff's socks. Also not started.
Sigh. Can I make it? I don't know. One distraction is that I keep working on the Noro Kochoran ruana for me when I should be Christmas knitting. Still, I think I can both finish it AND do the Christmas knitting as long as the shawls don't bag me down. It wouldn't really be terrible if I couldn't finish Katrina's shawl in time. We don't ualways exchange Christmas gifts in any case. I find I haven't much interest in doing the shawl/scarf for Mom. I really don't like knitting in the cotton. There's so little give that it's not much fun to work with. But it's what she needs for Florida, particularly since the other two shawls I've made for her are heavier. I did see a pattern by Lucy Neatby that I'm contemplating switching to. It looks from the picture and description to be simply short rows, fanned out from the neck. They start fairly short with the "ties" of the shawl and lengthen towad the back. I think the shape would work well for Mom, easily staying on and would probably look in the variegated yarn I've bought. And the simple garter stitch would be easy. But I'd rather liked the idea of doing something in a lace pattern, to make it seem a bit more special. Think I'll let it marinate for a while.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Ravelry
I'm so excited--I finally got my invitation to join Ravelry! Last night I just started to list some of my works in progress and my stash and realized I now face a terrible dilemma: Do I spend my time actually knitting or spend it recording what I've been knitting and what I want to knit? I really, really wish I could clone myself--especially if I could send some sort of drone clone to the office and to do the laundry!
My Ravelry name is alwaysknitting. They warn you that you can't change your name, and I dithered about it for a while. It's hard to imagine what name will bear the test of time. I tried just the boring but utilitarian Melissa, but it was already taken, as was MelissaKnits. And the name I often use for other online stuff, Macnmum, I fear is no longer as appropriate as when Mac still fit on my hip (lo those many years ago). At nearly 15, he's taller than I am, though I still have many, many pounds on him.
My Ravelry name is alwaysknitting. They warn you that you can't change your name, and I dithered about it for a while. It's hard to imagine what name will bear the test of time. I tried just the boring but utilitarian Melissa, but it was already taken, as was MelissaKnits. And the name I often use for other online stuff, Macnmum, I fear is no longer as appropriate as when Mac still fit on my hip (lo those many years ago). At nearly 15, he's taller than I am, though I still have many, many pounds on him.
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