A Sock tale, in three parts.

 I have returned to knitting socks. Especially socks for the little people in my life.  Not quite frantically knitting socks, but with a great deal of enthusiasm and joy.  Why is this, you may wonder.  After 21 months, the land border with the USA is finally open!  This means that Doug and I may drive, TOGETHER, to visit my son and his family for the holidays.  My daughter-in-law may be a bit hesitant about the whole holiday hosting thing, and I hopefully have reassured her that peanut butter and jelly is fine.  I GET TO SEE, AND HUG, AND SQUEEZE them.  FINALLY!

So, this means that I need to start working on socks.  The little guys are just small, right?  I should be able to squeeze a pair of socks out of the plentiful leftovers from another pair of socks.   

When they were small, yes.  Sadly, time did not stand still and they are now 8 and 5 years old.  With feet that are correspondingly larger than in previous years.  I cast on and knit happily for the first sock.  When I reached the toe, I got a wee bit nervous and decided to just slide the stitches onto some scrap yarn “just in case” I needed to borrow some.  

Then I started the second sock.  When the yarn barf happened, I discovered just how little yarn I had left for the second sock.  Cue me scrambling around to decide what colour I wanted to use for the toes, after I have robbed Sock 1 to lengthen Sock 2 …

I have a generous ball of blue left over from the socks for the boys’ dad.  This will do nicely, I do believe.

You may notice a multitude of needle ends in the first photo.  I am still working socks on two needles.  Since my long Addi gave up the ghost, I decided to go with two circs for a while.  This technique has the advantage of not dropping needles down between the passenger seat and centre console in my car.  It is also crystal clear which stitches belong to the instep and which belong to the sole.  

The pale yarn is Superba Bamboo Superwash from Rico (50% wool, 25% polyamide and 25% bamboo viscose), and was left over from a pair of socks knit during the blog drought.  The blue is Schoppel Zauberball (75% wool and 25% nylon), also knit this year.

Funny story about the blue yarn tho.  When it was decided that the land borders would open, I immediately grabbed some sock yarn and my sock project bag.  Only to discover a complete pair of socks therein.  Now, I know we knitters can sometimes suffer from yarn blackouts.  but  I had never  heard of project blackouts!

Rocky Mountain Cabin Blanket

You know that adage about the best-laid plans of mice and men?  It also applies to women, as it turns out. I very carefully selected pictures and uploaded them for today’s blogging activities.  I planned to then move myself to the desk-top computer, where I am easily able to link websites.  It seems the cat had other plans, as he is firmly ensconced on the desk chair and showing no signs of moving soon.  I even rattled his food bowl …

The big mystery project upon which I knit this past summer is this lovely blanket —

This design is called the Riding Mountain Cabin Blanket, and was designed by my friend Mindy Dykman of Raven Knits Designs.  (Imagine that there is a link to the specific pattern, followed by a link to her designer page, both on Ravelry.). Mostly worked in garter stitch, this blanket features intarsia — which is not nearly as difficult as folks would have you believe — with some slipped stitches to create ribs.  I used Gathering Yarns Haynes Creek Heathers for this little beauty, all knit on a 5.0m needle.  (Again, please imagine a Ravelry link to the appropriate yarn.).  This yarn has become my favourite worsted/aran wool yarn.  It is lovely to work with and I absolutely LOVE the heathered colours. 

Speaking of Raven Knits Designs … Mindy came and hosted a trunk show at the store yesterday to help us celebrate the 15th anniversary of our opening.  It was a lot of fun, and hard work.  Barb and I stripped the store of our samples so there would be room for Mindy to display hers.  We had a tent erected in the parking lot in case of rain, so that folks would have a place to wait their turn in the store.  We are still following the Covid-19 guidelines requiring masks, hand sanitizers, and 6-foot distance between guests, so shopping in-store had to be limited to one customer or bubble at a time. 

The picture does not do justice to Mindy’s designs.  I have long admired her designs … and purchased some and even test-knit for her.  I have to say, tho, that seeing them in person was even better.  She has one design that I was a bit “meh” about … until I saw it and heard the history upon which it is based.  I may not recreate her design in its entirety, but that design will soon be landing in my library for certain. 

Another of her designs which I knit is Estel, a design drawn from the lore of J.R.R. Tolkien.  (Imagine there is yet another Ravelry link here, as the cat has still not moved.)

I knit this in Berroco Ultra Wool DK, using a 4.0mm circular needle.  (Again, another Ravelry link should be here!)  Some of the cable crosses require two cable needles, and row 20 particularly stretched my brain.  Once past that row, however, the knitting just sailed along.  There are two more rows very similar to row 20, and they were achieved without even breaking a sweat.  So, while not an easy design, I would encourage folks to give this one a try.  It was a lot of fun, and a beautiful design as well. 

And did you catch the bit about a 15th anniversary celebration?  Yes, Never Enough Wool has been open 15 years now.  I have no idea how that happened, since it seems like only yesterday I was filling the shelves for the first time.  It was a delightful day at the store, and I owe it all to my lovely customers/friends.

Happy knitting!

Monogamish

Turns out that keeping a blog is an awful lot like having a journal. For it to be of any use in tracking your projects, you must make entries on a regular basis.  Like a habit.  Do it regularly and it becomes second nature.  When one is in the midst of a pandemic and not going anywhere, or seeing anyone, it is difficult to find things about which to talk.  Especially if you are heartily sick of the pandemic, vaccinations, and politics. 

Anyway, on to other more salient topics ...

I have been monogamish ... sort of.  (Please understand monogamish to be defined as 'being faithful to two projects, but no more.)  At the store, I was faithfully knitting on a test knit for a local designer.  The design is not mine to show as the pattern has not yet been released.  So I have not been at liberty to talk about it ... and besides, how boring would it be to see repeatedly that "I knit another 20 rows on the test knit."   The release date is rapidly approaching, and I can't wait to tell you all about it.  

The other project was this commissioned afghan.  Mary Maxim design and Mary Maxim yarn.  The lady has been a steady and reliable customer of the store for many years, and the commission came with a good story.  I promised her I would finish it by the end of August.  Little did I know that August would bring with it an amazing heat wave!  But I did persevere and finish it on time.  I used 5.0m needles, as specified in the pattern, and knit to the length specified.  I think the client may have wanted to make it a bit wider than the pattern planned, but I didn't figure THAT out until I had frogged her work at the beginning and gotten three or four skeins of yarn into it.  Once finished, I contacted the client, only to discover that she was in the midst of moving into assisted living and could she wait until the end of September to retrieve it.  Oh well.  It is finished and a lovely finish at that.

 

Previously I had posted a pic of my ankle injury.  The doctor prescribed the wearing of an air cast for two months.  I am usually a compliant patient, and this was no exception.  Wearing the cast meant that I couldn't swim, sail, ride my bicycle, or walk.  (Not that I really wanted to do much walking -- it hurt!)  The cast finally came off mid-August, to my great relief.  I have since then been to physio and acquired a nice set of exercises designed to strengthen the feet, ankles and legs in an effort to avoid having this injury reoccur.  And I have been doing the exercises diligently.  To the effect that I went TWO WHOLE DAYS without pain!  Yay!  

 Sunday (yesterday) I had a delightful sail, did my exercises, hung laundry, chased the vacuum and dust mop around, and had a little walk.  The ankles and legs are telling me all about the excess of exercise they endured, but I have told them to get over themselves.  Summer is for doing things, and I WILL do things. 

That's about all the knitting news I can disperse today.  I hope to have more ... soon!  As well as creating a blogging habit.

So this happened ...

 Wow.  Three posts in March and then total silence through April and most of May.  To explain it, I will claim that I have been monagomy-ish of late.  

Which is to say … I have been knitting steadily at the store on a test knit afghan for a friend.  I am using Gathering Yarns Harvest Heathers in five colours, and I am loving the design and the yarn.  I am currently approaching the half-way point, so I am pleased.  Pictures will follow when the design is released.

I am knitting on another afghan at home.  This is a commissioned piece for a client of the store.  She wanted to make a wedding present for a grandchild, but was struggling with the pattern.   There are twelve balls of wool provided, and I am currently working my way through number eight. 

This is a Mary Maxim pattern and yarn.  The client is a very nice lady … and the yarn is an alpaca blend … and cables.  You folks know how besotted I am with cables. 

And the  there is this new project:

  I … sprained my ankle again, and did such a fantastic job that I went to the emergency room.  I knew I would need some distraction and entertainment so I grabbed the sock project bag.  The yarn is Claudia Hand Painted Yarns in the Addiction fingering weight base, and the colour is Muscadine Wine.  Previously I had remarked that my trusty Addi needle had finally been consigned to the retired status (after hundreds of socks and 15 years of service).  I did, however, have two 24” needles in the proper size.  While I CAN work magic loop socks on a 24” needle, it is stressful for both the needle and the knitter.  Also, I knew I would need something a wee bit brain-bendy for distraction as I waited in the emerg.  

Socks TAAT are mot my fave, but I can do them.  Socks on two circs is a better way for me than on one needle.  Especially when I need distraction.

March 31, 2021

March has come in like a lamb, and true to the adage it is leaving like a lion.  We have had raging high winds for the last couple of days, along with rain and grey skies.  Every once in a while the sun will peek through the clouds and the world lights up.  Moods also lighten with the sunshine.  After the year we have had with Covid-19, quarantines, restrictions, lock-downs and uncertainties, any excuse to lighten our moods seems like a good idea. 

To that end, it seems I was jonesing for a Playstation 4.  My eldest son and his family have one and they have had great fun playing games on-line with my other two children.  The grandsons especially enjoy playing with Uncle and Auntie.   And now they can play with Mama Carol.  I am an inept player at best, so my character frequently needs rescuing and reviving.  The boys are great for telling me what to do, where to go, etc.  They also are enjoying that they get to teach me how to play. 

My eldest grandson has been having school on-line this year.  It has been a challenge but he seems to have risen to the challenge.  His teacher recognizes that his academic skills are above grade level and is recommending him for the district’s gifted program.  

Youngest grandson has been going to the babysitter since his kindergarten program was cancelled.  This worked quite well, until the babysitter’s family were diagnosed with Covid-19.  My son and family all  tested negative, thankfully, but it meant that the younger grandson had to stay home with his parents.  Upon seeing big brother doing schoolwork, he insisted that he also needed schoolwork.  Now the little guy reads, writes in typical for his age scrawl, and handles double-digit arithmetic quite easily.  Wow! My son and his wife have their hands full!

I have been knitting a fair bit.  I am almost half-way through a test knit afghan.  Since it is a test-knit, no photos at this time.  The designer is hoping to release the pattern this fall.

Last post I showed a picture of Flax, by Tin Can Knits.  The photo was not great, so I have taken a couple more.  This first is the completed sweater!

 

I used two balls of ComfortWolle Gala Tweed.  (Please note this link will take you to a wholesale site, and sales are not to the general public.)  This wool is a worsted weight starting as a solid colour and transitioning to a tweedy effect.  I really enjoyed working with this yarn, and am sorry to see it has been discontinued. 

 One design feature of the sweater is the garter stitch panel running down each sleeve —

Such a nice effect, and saves the project from being totally boring.  Since the sweater is worked entirely in the round, it also means you must pay attention to get the garter stitch working properly.  If you forget which row you are on, or are operating on auto-pilot, the mis-step is glaringly obvious and you really do have to go back to correct the error.

I have also finished two pair of socks.  They were sent away already, and I forgot to get photos.  Perhaps when they come to visit I can get a shot. 

 I am continuing to work on my Forest Mosaic shawl, using one skein of Urth Yarns Fingering in colour no. 3025 and Sandnes Garn Baby Lanett white.  I am about halfway through the second diamonds chart, so fairly close to half-way finished. 

There is also a project on needles using Pollock from Juniper Moon Farm and an Elizabeth Lavold pattern.  I am going to save those pictures and updates for next time. 

 And see?  This is twice in one month, and a third post in one quarter!  Progress!

This about all the news I have, so I will say good-bye for now.  Hope your knitting is treating you well and you are staying healthy and safe.

Taking stock

 Now that I have blogged once in February and the calendar page has flipped to March, it must be time for a new post.  Just for fun, let’s review that list I posted way back in November ...

Dropping to the bottom of the list, I see that I was knitting a shawl for my daughter.  I finished it, and blogged about it in November

I also showed a picture of the Advent Cowl, being worked in Gathering Yarn Brook Farm.  It is finished! 

I used colours six colours, as requested in the pattern.  It was getting to be plenty tall, so I stopped about 30 rows before the chart ended, repeated the border section, and called it done.  This yarn comes in tiny balls, maybe 20 grams at a reasonable price of $6 each.  I am pleased with the overall project.

I have started knitting the Juniper Moon Farm Pollock into a lovely design from Elsebeth Lavold, “Jasmin,” from The Summer Breeze Collection.  I am loving this yarn, and how it is working up.  There was an error in the pattern that required some tracking down.  Once the correction was obtained, however, this has seen lots of love and time.  I will get the entire sweater from three balls of yarn, something I am quite enjoying.  

I have started the raglan shaping and lace section, so maybe 3/4 done with the front.  The sleeves are plain, so should be quick to knit. 

I also finished the afghan my mother left behind.  

The other nine projects?  Still waiting. 

But wait — there are more finished objects!   

Bernie Mittens, from the pattern named Vermont’s finest.  My daughter-in-law was over the moon to receive these.  

I am making a pair for my son since I have plenty of left over yarn.  I used four colours of Estelle Worsted, an acrylic and wool blend.  I mostly followed the pattern, “Vermont’s Finest,” found on Ravelry.  The only change I made was to work 15 rows of ribbing instead of the suggested 12.  The ones I make for my son will have added length.

What?  Are you saying there are more finished projects?  You would be correct.  I used two balls of Comfort Wolle Gala Tweed to knit “Flax” from Tin Can Knits.  I played with the gradient a bit for the arms, but otherwise just cast on and knit.  This was a lot of fun to knit.  That garter stitch element on the sleeves keeps it from being a total bore. 

Hmm.  The colour is not great, nor is the garter stitch visible.  I will try again. 

Turns out the children were disappointed that there were not Christmas socks ... so I have also been knitting frantically in an effort to rectify my oversight.  These are Berroco Comfort, a 100% acrylic, that wears like iron.  

Two of family members will be happy. 

And finally, another work in progress.  At the store we have started a Knit-A-Long of the Forest Mosaic Shawl.  

Mine is on the right.  I am using Sandnes Garn Babyull Lanett for the main colour and Urth Yarns Merino Sock for the contrast. I am really further along than the photo shows ... but I am saving THAT pic for my next post.

I am still awaiting the call for my Covid-19 vaccine.  I urge everyone to have one so that the world may enter the After Times.  I can’t wait!!!

Once a Quarter?

 Hello, my sad and lonely Blog.  I keep thinking I should drop by and update, and then I run out of time.  On what am I spending all my time?  A little of this, a little of that, some more of this ... I know I have been working jig saw puzzles, writing my representatives in Washington DC, reading some, knitting, skiing, cleaning ... All in all, just typical stuff.  My next goal is to get back here before another three months goes by!

These last eleven months, almost to the day, have been spent in varying stages of pandemic restrictions.  We have been totally shut down, partially shut-down, partially opened ... basically every stage of restriction at least twice.  Still awaiting my Covid-19 shots ... still waiting for the borders to open.  I last saw my grandsons in person in May of 2019.  (That is not a typo.  Almost two years now.)  Thank heavens for the internet and video chats.

Speaking of my grandsons ... The eldest asked me once why I knit all the time.  My answer was that I liked making things for the people I love.  And while that is true, it is not a complete answer.  The rest of the answer is that years from now, when I am no longer walking the face of this Earth, I want those I love to be able to look at pictures of them wearing things I made, and be reminded that I existed, and that I loved them.  Loved them enough that I would spend hours of my life making them something tangible, something that carried my love for them in its very existence.

Which brings me to this —

This is an afghan my mother started years ago.  She passed in 2003?  The date gets a bit fuzzy.  In any event, she has been gone for almost two decades, and the afghan ended up in my possession for finishing.  It is a variant of arrowhead lace, and it took a while to get my head into finishing.  But I did, and now here I sit, wrapped in the afghan that my mother knit.  It is like getting a hug from Mom, something that I have sorely missed these many years.  I have sweaters she made for me as well, but with the passing of time they no longer fit.  

The yarn is Windrush, from Brunswick Yarns.  (To be honest, I know the yarn is discontinued and I am not even certain if Brunswick Yarns still exists.)  Five different colours of blue, worked generally in 4-row stripes.  There is one stripe that is six rows, but I'm not telling anyone where it is.  It's a design feature!  Ultimately, when the border reopens, this will be delivered to my elder brother and then he may enjoy hugs from Mom.

Another project recently finished is a pair of Bernie Mittens.  What are Bernie Mittens?  Well, Bernie Sanders appeared at the inauguration of Joe Biden wearing a pair of fabulous mittens.  They became quite the internet sensation, and by day's end there were patterns available on Ravelry.  These mittens were requested by someone near and dear to my heart, so of course I was willing to make them.

I used the pattern "Vermont's Finest" and four colours of Estelle Worsted.  I tried to match the colours as closely as possible to the original, and did fairly well.  I used a 5.0mm needle, which worked quite well for the design and wool.  The next pair of mittens, however, will have a few modifications.  To-wit, the thumb gusset increases start immediately after 12 rows of ribbing; I knit 15 rows of ribbing and will add 3 plain rows to the next pair.  Also, I find the hand portion to be a bit short for my liking, and will add a row of plain gold both before and after the white motif.  Finally, the thumb could be a couple of rows longer ...

I recognize that not everyone has long fingers like mine, but the next pair are being planned for someone near and dear to my heart, and I know for a fact there is some additional length required. Right now I am trying to decide how to get these mittens to the recipient.  The US Postal Service is still in a high state of disarray, and parcels are being ignored, not delivered, mis-delivered, etc.  UPS or FedEx are possibilities ... Tomorrow I will make the decision and get them on their way. 

And that is about all the news from my little corner of the world.  It is snowing (still) and the lake is frozen.  There is almost too much snow for comfortable skiing out there ... Right.  We are actually skiing on the lake this year, much to Doug's chagrin.  He has sneered at this idea for the past 21 years I have lived with him.  This year, people cannot go anywhere, the gyms are closed, and so everyone is heading over to the nearest conservation area and hiking.  This wreaks havoc on ski trails, not to mention that the over-crowding is making us feel unsafe.  So, to the lake it is.  I am enjoying it thoroughly and practicing my flat-land skiing.  Not upping my game for going up and down hills, but it is exercise and I am loving it.  The hot chocolate at the end of the ski also ups the enjoyment factor ...

Gosh, it's been nice to write a bit.  I should do this more often!

November 15, 2020

 November is here, with blustery winds and rain.  This year we have the sailboats safely stored for winter, the canoes snugly tucked away and the dock sections all ashore.  Every fall is different, and we tend to procrastinate getting ready for winter.  We want that last sail, that last canoe ride, that last sunset on the dock.  Now it is sunsets on the deck, or from the dining table.  The house is fairly snug against the winter weather, so there is that. 

kn knitting news, I sent my daughter a picture ...

She was confused ... until I sent here THIS picture:

This is her shawl, quite possibly for her wedding.  It is the Diamond Rings shawl, designed by Donna Druchunas.  I used 8 balls of Sandnes Garn Mandarin Petit, in colour 7512, which is a delightful baby blue.  (I needed the 8th ball for the last 4 rows of the border.). I used a 3.75mm needle, as suggested by the designer.

Why cotton?  My daughter has a sensitivity to wool, so merino was out.  We do not know when the actual event will occur, so I didn’t really want to use alpaca. (In fact, we are not entirely certain that alpaca will not give her itchies, so that was another consideration.). Finally, she thought the shawl MIGHT be used as a throw over the back of the sofa afterward.  Cotton it was!  

I blocked this by letting it have a nice swim in the bathtub with a wee bit of Eucalan. Then it went through a spin cycle in the washing machine.  (Our machine is a front-load, so reasonably OK for knits.)  I had listened to a podcast that suggested doing this, as the machine spins so much excess moisture out of the garment.  Cotton does not felt, so it seemed like a safe thing to do.  Spread out on a double bed, this covered the mattress side to side, and three-quarters of the length.  I danced around, gently shaping it into a nice circle.  I did not pin out the points on the border because I think Carrie probably will not do so when she washes it.  Also, I did not have that many blocking pins!  It dried over -night, which I found shocking. Usually things require three to four days to dry, but using the spin cycle got so much water out that it was a quick dry.   

 Now to test the spin cycle with wool ...

In other news, I must say that I am GREATLY relieved that Joe Biden appears to have won the presidential election. I will not believe the Trump nightmare is over until the inauguration occurs, but I am beginning to have hope.  As an American living outside the borders of the US, things were looking grim.  Still are, actually.  I greatly feared I was watching the end of the US experience ... who knew there was that much bigotry hiding in the population?  Destruction of education systems, destruction of the postal service, destruction of the norms of every day life.  I am hoping that Mr. Biden will be able to bring healing and moderation.

And I am going to say “that’s  wrap” for this blog post.  Thanks for reading!

October 25, 2020

 One of my good friends reads my blog, when I take the time to post.  One would think that a pandemic would give a girl plenty of time to do so ... and to be absolutely honest, I really do not know how I lose so many hours of my life.  Yes, I understand that the silly computer games I play are a complete waste of time, and I will readily admit that I play entirely too much.  Having admitted this, however, I am also going to say that knitting and keyboarding properly are prone to the creation of carpal tunnel syndrome, so too much of those activities may not be healthy for me either!

In any event, I did spend a fair bit of time this summer out on my little sailboat.  Feeling the sun and wind on my face, listening to the swish of water past the rudder prove to be balm to a troubled soul, and this accursed pandemic has created more than a little disturbance in my soul.  I hope this winter to substitute cross-country skiing for the boat ...

I absolutely love having a wool shop to call my own (well, my half of the partnership in any event).  It turns out that there are benefits to owning said shop, as well as pitfalls.  One pitfall is that sometimes, thankfully not often, a customer will fling yarn at us that we cannot resell.  It has been wound, knit, frogged and rewound into a ball.  Of course, it is still usable ... so in the early days of lockdown I knit hats.  Ten of them.  In an effort to not enlarge my stash, I gave the remainder to Barb.  I guessed there was enough for two or three hats.  She will get to them ... some day.

Another not-so-terrible pitfall of owning a wool shop is that sales reps often give us samples of wool and yarn to work with in the hope we will fall in love.  Sometimes it works, and sometimes it does not.  The skein below is one such gift.  Sadly, I have absolutely no label and so I cannot tell you anything about it except that it is green, and wool.  It is scheduled to be one of the next ten projects I make, so any suggestions would be welcome.

Sometimes we look at yarns and fall in love with them, but are not certain that our clientele will love them the way we do.  We purchase a bag, split it between us, and plan to plan to knit something glorious, tempting the clientele as we do so, of course.  Or perhaps it is just yarn that we love.  One never knows.  Anyway, we split a bag of Pollock from Juniper Moon Farms a long time ago.  A very long time ago.  In an effort to reclaim my knitting corner, I have designated this to be in the upcoming rotation.  Again, suggestions are welcomed because at the moment I have no idea what it wants to be when it grows up.

Next are two skeins of Rylie from Hi-Koo.  A customer really, really wanted to make something with this wool.  Sadly we had disappointed her previously so we brought in a bag for her.  Not so sadly, she did not need the entire bag ... and someone’s stash grew again.  

Another day we had a customer who dropped by with donations for our charity knitters.  There was this Shirley Brian yarn that seems to have started the colour-changing craze.  It is not really suitable for the various charity projects happening, so once again my stash grew.  It did not come with a pattern, though, so I will get to play a bit with it. 

I swear the picture was not this blurry when I looked at it after taking it!  In any event, this is a skein of Louet Euroflax ... again, a gift from a sales rep.  

Have I mentioned that sometimes Barb and I just cannot help ourselves and we buy things just because they are beautiful?  This is a gradient set from Manos del Uruguay in their Alegria Grande base. Sigh.  Too beautiful to pass up.  And time for it to become something.  

I have made afghans for all of my children.  Sometimes two ...  My step-daughter is dear to my heart and well-deserving of an afghan too.  One weekend while she was visiting, I handed her an ancient McCall's Super Afghan book and asked her to choose.  She selected an aran-style afghan ... my heart just grew two sizes that day!  Took a while for the right colour yarn to arrive, but it finally has.  

Every year we do inventory at the wool shop.  Sometimes we bring treasures home with us.  This is one such treasure — Sublime Merino Lace.  I knit with this previously and loved it so I decided that it was time for this wool to find a home. 

So those are the projects that will be moving through my fingers.  No time frame as yet ... after all, I still need to do some holiday knitting.  In the process of sorting these out and filling project bags, I also turfed a couple of,projects.  Again, as the owner of a wool shop I seem to have a lot of projects that I “should” be working on.  You know what?  Life is short and uncertain, and I decided that “should” knitting is not gonna happen unless it is also something I WANT to make.

In that vein, let’s move on to my current projects!  This is an afghan that my mother started many years ago.  She is gone now, and the afghan has been residing in a corner of my room waiting.  Waiting oh so patiently.  This is something that my mother’s hands touched, something she was making for someone she loved. It has taken me some time to be ready to proceed ... I am there.  I know what row to start with, what colour, and cooler weather is approaching.  This will be something that stays at home as it is a large project already. 

One of our vendors gifted us with some balls of Brook Farm.  Cute, little balls of wool perfect for colour work.  The pattern is the Advent Cowl, available on Ravelry.  I started this last winter, before the pandemic.  Turns out that wearing a face mask changes where my glasses sit on my nose, making chart  reading interesting.  I may have found some masks that fit better so I am hoping to go back to this. 

Another long-lived project is this beautiful lace shawl.  Carrie gave me the alpaca yarn ... I have struggled with the chart as it is in a book which does not lie flat, making the magnet board difficult to use.  Being the clever girl I am, I have FINALLY had the brilliant idea of getting a copy made.  Flat page,  no binding, and a flat magnet board should make this much easier.  I could even have the chart — gasp — enlarged!

My daughter was engaged this summer to a delightful young man. we are thrilled with this development.  Of course, I instantly decided to make something special for her and that day whenever it may occur.  Having learned not to make surprise projects for her, I showed her my idea, she approved and I cast on.  I

love knitting lace ... this is a full circle shawl inspired by Elizabeth Zimmerman.  i am having SO much fun knitting it.  Very soon I will be adding the border and able to start spreading it out.  I can hardly wait!

  

I think this is enough chatter.  There are still new projects in the queue, but they can wait.  After all, there is lace knitting to be done!  

That didn’t take long!

No, that did not take long for me to fall off the wagon and skip blogging.  Turns out it is far easier to stop than it is to keep going.  In any event, it did not take nearly as long for me to climb back on the wagon as it has previously.  Thanks, Liz, for reminding me that I should get busy again!

I have been knitting.  Not so many pictures in the months gone by, but I have been busy.  With the urging to come back to the blog, comes the urging to take pictures.  To that end, LOOK AT THESE SOCKS!!!!!

These are the Turnalar Socks by Leslie Comstock.  I found this pattern in the book Sockupied from Interweave, and knew I just HAD to knit them.   The heel gusset was quite unusual in that the reductions all happened on the bottom of the sock, in the striped section.  I had never done that before, and I marvel at how nicely the sole pattern picked up at the end of the gusset.  I used Cascade Heritage in black and. Manos del Uruguay Alegria Watercolour in pink, and a 2.5mm circular.  As always, I did manage to knit a bit tighter than I should have, but sock stretchers will keep them wearable.

I also have managed to knit up 12 pair of Knitted Knockers using Cascade Ultra Pima in various colours.  The store is a drop-off site, and it seemed fitting that I should contribute to the cause.  I used up several left-over bits and bobs, which means my stash got a wee bit smaller.  Always a nice thing!

In a fit of organizational frenzy, I made a list of projects that are screaming to be started and/or finished.  There are currently eight projects.  Yes, eight.  This does not include the additional projects already kitted up,  nor does it include the projects that seem to happen during store inventory.  I find this a wee bit ... disturbing, exciting, worrisome.  Yes, all three.  Exciting to know that my knitting time is planned; worrisome that there are so many projects actinglike they need to be done NOW,

And why do I find these projects disturbing and worrisome?  Because I have taken up sailing.  I have a Sunfish-type sailboat.  it is 14-feet long, and perfect for a single-hand sailor.  I thoroughly enjoy the feeling of sailing, the sun, the winds, the waves.  I find myself geinning from esr to esr while out there.

Snowy February Days

I enjoy winter.  Really I do.  I love to go cross-country skiing.  Not that I am any good, but I do enjoy the challenge.  Except when there is too much ice and not enough snow.  My coordination is not great at the best of times, and when ice is there it is positively dreadful.  So yesterday, when the snow started, I was pleased to see snow.  Lots of snow.  Too bad I have to go to work tomorrow and not skiing.  I am hopeful that the snow will stay until the weekend, without having freezing rain added to the trails.

This is my second attempt at a blog post.  The previous one, I had done lots of work, added all the links, looked up all the patterns, and in general done what every good blogger is supposed to do.  Well, except that pesky "save" feature.  Or having an opened blog post on two different devices.  Whatever the issue was, I am here to rectify it!

This is the beginning of a gauge swatch for Genista, from Juniper Moon.  I am using the specified wool -- Findley Dappled -- and a 3.25mm needle.  I did finish the swatch, and measure, and got gauge with the specified needle.  Currently I am at row 4, just getting ready to start the lace pattern.   I expect this will be a delightful summer top, and sure to get lots of use this summer.  I don't know why they chose that yellow colour for the pattern picture; I think my colour will be far better!

Last fall, one of my ladies made a visit to Scotland.  She surprised me with a skein of Croft from West Yorkshire Spinners.  It was a very thoughtful gift, and much appreciated.  I made a hat for myself, with plenty of left-over wool. 

When the store needed a sample pair of gloves knit up for our January class, I grabbed a skein of Patons Classic Wool and jumped in.  The gloves were completed, with left-over wool, from one skein.  I had what I thought was a brilliant idea -- combine the two partial skeins (with 98g combined) and make another pair of gloves!  I had more than 2g left from the Patons, so I figured it would work. 

Because I am a belt-and-suspenders kind of girl, I did the gloves two-at-a-time.  If I ran out of wool, at least I would be at the same place on both gloves.  Clever, eh?  And, of course, I did run out.  My customers listened to me grouse and complain about having to buy a whole skein of Patons, just for two thumbs.  Whatever would I do with the remainder? 

Another of my kind customers has a talent for locating yarns.  She went to work, and found another wool shop nearby that carried Croft.  I called, and they did in fact have my colourway.  So ... last Sunday I jumped in the car and off I went.

Now, I ask you -- what are the chances that a skein of wool found in Canada would match the dye lot of a skein purchased five months ago in Scotland?  I think I've used up all my luck for 2019, because I did in fact match the dye lot.  (Please note -- I was happy to purchase an expensive, full price ball of yarn from another shop rather than the skein from my own shop!) 

Now that the gloves are finished, I am contemplating purchasing a skein of Patons Classic and combining it with the remaining Croft to make up a cowl.  Imagine this -- a hat, cowl and gloves all from the same wool!  What a concept!

The March theme for the Sock Challenge is Wendy Johnson.  Turns out that she mostly designs socks from the toes up, so it is only fitting that this picture is upside down.  (I won't bore you with the details of why this happened, but it is typical Carol, and also explains why the original post disappeared!)   I had the book so I decided upon the Diamond Gansey Socks, grabbed a skein of Berroco Comfort Sock and my needles and was off to the races!

This sock challenge has been loads of fun to watch.  The customers at the store have really embraced the challenge!

Friends of ours had a baby last January.  Yes, last January.  I kept thinking that I would "get to it" and knit a baby gift.  Sadly, that did not happen.  Until now.  This is the Finn Sweater, from Martin Storey.  I used three skeins of Ultra Pima, 3.75mm needles and had lots of fun.  What a delightful little garment, even with all the seed stitch.

The last project I have been working on is the Mystic Midsummer Wreath by Anna Dalvi.  I am using a skein of luscious handpaint alpaca which my daughter gifted me for Mother's Day.  I had been waiting for the right project ... this is actually my second attempt at a pattern but I am far happier with this one than my original choice.  And, sadly, this is my second attempt at the pattern.  Row 15 really warped my brain, dropped stitches, and general confusion meant that I started over.  Lace does't look like much pre-blocking, so I didn't try very hard for a good picture.  Hopefully next week there will be more to show ...

Due dates, do-overs

So last Monday I was supposed to post a weekly update.  I did not get to it. "Why?" you ask.  It turns out that an e-book was due back in the library, soon to disappear from my I-Pad, and I really wanted to get it finished.  The Sphere by Michael Crichton    I enjoyed the book, right up to the last four paragraphs.  Really?  I spent my day off for THAT ending?  Yes, yes I did.  I was disappointed, to say the least.  Because this was an e-book and not an audio book, I lost a lot of knitting time!

Remember the cowl I was working on a while ago?  No, of course you would not, because it happened during the time of not blogging.  So anyway, I was working on a cabled cowl for a class sample, using the pattern from Paton's Next Steps Six.  The wool was Ella Rae Cozy Alpaca, a delightful and squishy alpaca and acrylic blend.  I have been having difficulties relating to stress with reading comprehension, and I totally messed up the directions.  I made one panel, and then made a second, identical panel and seamed the sides together to make a cowl.  What the pattern REALLY said was to make one panel, 24" long, and then seam the cast-on and cast-off ends together.  Right in class, I started to unpick the seams I had made so that I could do the cowl correctly.  Our students seem to find it reassuring when I goof up and have to redo things.  Now that the redo has been completed, it looks like this:

which is actually a lot like it looked in the beginning.  Oh well. I know that it has been done correctly.

I have also finished knitting my Water Cycle Socks, which defined the Sock Challenge for February at the store.  I just decided to make them because I liked the different lace patterns and the heel feature.  I didn't read the story about their design.  When one of my ladies mentioned it, I re-read the pattern page and ... how cool.

I really LOVE these socks.  Of course, now that I have finished my socks for February, I have to wait until the 20th to find out the theme for March.

The Newsom cardigan has been finished, but not yet blocked.  My blocking space has been occupied by an abundance of paperwork waiting to be processed.   I used 3.25 skeins of James Brett Innocence in a pale lavender.

The knitting of this little cardigan was actually quite fun.  The construction starts at the centre back, with garter stitch panels stretching around to the front and stocking stitch for the back.  Sleeves are knitted separately and then joined as you finish the yoke and fronts in garter stitch.  I can heartily recommend the pattern, and unless something dreadful happens in the blocking, will also be able to do the same for the yarn.

The last project of which I will speak is my Ebba, being knit in Berroco Aero, colourway no. 8019.  This is a very fluffy and light alpaca/nylon/wool blend yarn, and it is working up beautifully.  You can see how close I am to done --



and this is with only a week of working on it.  Of course, the 10mm needles help move things along quickly.

In other news, our Pixel has had an interesting 10 days.  Last Friday he didn't demand outside time, which is strange for him.  Doug brushed him Friday night and everything seemed normal.  Saturday morning when I got up, he had endured an abscess which had ruptured overnight.  A trip to the 24-hour vet, a wound cleaning (under very loud protest) and an antibiotic needle, and he came home to recuperate.  He started to feel better almost immediately, and often inquired if we would let him outside.  Not with an open wound, thank you very much, and he was pretty darn good about it all.  Wrangy from boredom, but not demanding to be let outside.  We have been dragging a string for him, throwing a furry ball, playing pounce on the covers, etc., but he is B-O-R-E-D.  Today he asked, and I let him out.  He came back about 40 minutes later, none the worse for wear.  Of course he wanted to be a swinging door kitty, and I have put the kibosh on that idea.  So now he is sleeping the day away, waiting for Doug to come home and play.

And that is the story of my last two weeks.  Now I am off to my knitting corner to listen to an audio book and knit!  On my day off!  Yippee!

I bet you thought I forgot!

I did not.  It's just that Monday was a busy day.  We met with a sales representative at the shop, looking at spring yarns.  Yummy linen and a great bamboo/acrylic are lined up for arrival in the spring.  Which really is not that far away, now that I think about.

This week I finished the knitting on a very pretty shawl -- Passe-partout.  I used a new wool called Whirligig from Cascade and 4.5mm needles.  This is a superwash merino-acrylic blend and it is delightful and squishy and nice to work with.  Of course, this is a store sample but I WILL be wearing it next winter!

We have been teaching a class in knitting gloves at the store.  I cannot believe how easy gloves are, and how assiduously I avoided them for years and years.  This is my second pair, and I have figured out the pattern and how to make official left- and right-handed gloves.  I feel so accomplished!  This time I am using Painted Desert.   There should be enough wool to make the complete pair, with some left over even.  The pattern asks for 3.75mm for the cuff and 4.0mm for the hand, and I am complying since the gloves are fitting nicely at this point.

Another little beauty in my knitting bag is the Newsom by Bristol Ivey.  I am using James Brett Innocence, a lovely bamboo/acrylic blend.  The pattern suggested a 3.75mm needle, but to get gauge I had to drop down to a 3.25mm needle.  I like the fabric I am getting with these needles and I am really looking forward to the finished product.  I have about 20 rows of yoke, and then three inches of collar to work, in garter stitch.  I think this might just be movie knitting!

The last item currently in my knitting bag is a pair of socks, as always.  This time I am using Alegria from Manos del Uruguay and the pattern is Water Cycle Socks.  The first sock was finished in time for the theme announcement at the shop for our Sock Challenge on January 20th.  The second sock was cast on, immediately.  It has languished however, since officially I am not supposed to be working on it until February. 

I selected these socks because I liked the lace patterns used in the design.  One of the store customers came in and mentioned the story behind the socks.  Eh?  I went back to look at the pattern page, and sure enough.  This sock does in fact represent the cycle of water -- clouds at the top, rain falling down along the front, waves at the toe and heel, and water vapour up the back of the leg.  How cool is that?  

I also have a shawl on the needles, called the Mystic Midsummer Wreath.  Sadly, this little beauty has  not gotten much love lately, as it felt like the store shawl and the socks were a priority at the time.  Now that they are finished or half-finished, I can devote my evenings to this one again.  

We have had snow over the last couple of days, and lots of very cold temperatures.  The snow would be perfect for skiing, if not for the stupid cold and the myriad of chores that MUST BE DONE at home.  Sometimes this being a grown-up just is not fun!