Lazy

Every season has something to recommend it. Winter has its woolens and hot cocoa and cozy evenings by the fire. Spring has its air of anticipation and energy, all colors and new life. Fall has its stately colors and crisp mornings, fresh-picked apples and Eagles football.

Summer has large swaths of nothingness, and I love that. Sitting on the beach for hours, doing nothing. Well, reading, building sand castles, swimming, collecting sea shells, but mostly, doing nothing at all productive. There's the pool and the library and the mini-golf course, there's a little summer camp maybe and some whiffle ball in the backyard, but there are countless hours of lazing around, with nothing to show for it except maybe a sweaty pitcher of lemonade, a few more chapters read, or a few more rows knit.

This is my way of explaining my absence from the blog. In embracing the laziness of summer, I've just not been motivated to photograph and post. But I have been knitting. And today, on this lazy Sunday that will involve no more than a swim, a pedicure, and perhaps the making of a chocolate cake, I have the inclination to post.

There's been some sock knitting (a single Jaywalker), some baby knitting (just needs buttons), some sweater knitting (this one's almost done), and a finished cowl.


I've finally submitted to the siren song of the knitted neck tube. This yarn, the Fibre Company's Road to China just screams to be made into a cowl. Luxuriously soft, with those incredible color variations of the Fibre Company's for which you pay richly (or snatch up for 50% off at MDSW), this is a very special yarn. I used the Aspen Cowl pattern, and two beautiful skeins of malachite Road to China. I have several other cowl-ish yarns in my stash, and upon seeing this picture in my flickr stream, my sister (ecokate on flickr)  instantly requested one. So look to see more cowls in this is space in the near future.

Soft cowls like this almost make me eager for cool mornings and crisp afternoons of autumn. But this autumn, my youngest starts kindergarten, and my beautiful years as a mother at home with small children really do come to an end. So I think I'll hold on to these lazy, do-nothing-together days as long as I can.

Perspective

I cast on for Ene's Scarf (Ravelry link) last week. This is the first time I'm knitting a lace shawl from the outside in, so to speak. Casting on 375 stitches just about made me insane and the whole project seems so daunting. But then we discovered that the kids brought back lice from Norway. Thus began hours upon hours of combing hair and laundry.

As a pleasant summer break from the nit-picking, we drove out to the country to pick peaches. Then came the endless peeling, pitting, and canning that nearly put me over the edge.

Now, after 15 quarts of preserves and 2 lice-free girls, Ene's Scarf? Not so intimidating after all.

Re-entry

I've been back from Greece for close to two weeks, and have been busy reconnecting with my real life again. It would take weeks to share all the stories of once-in-a-lifetime, pinch me moments, like watching the sunset over the Aegean from the deck of a sailboat, learning Cretan cooking tricks in a 200 year old olive oil factory, or eating the best gyro ever, so if you are interested, check out the pictures here on my flickr set. I've tried to annotate them and share a few stories there.

Besides celebrating our tenth anniversary on a rooftop in Athens, drinking (too much) raki in Crete and marveling at ancient Greek ruins nestled in beside modern soulless apartment buildings, we relaxed and reconnected, enjoying some rare, extended kid-free time (who were being spoiled beyond limit by their grandmothers).

And I didn't knit a stitch.

Norwegian Lagoons

So. As I promised, the socks that I knit in Norway. Now I truly knit three socks since I frogged an entire completed one that I had rushed. It didn't fit over R's foot. Not an insignificant problem. I was experimenting with calf-shaping and I guess I took it a bit too far. R has skinny calves but big feet. Am I wrong or is this a challenge?


I ended up decreasing stitches up at the top and then increasing them again before the heel. It works alright except it does take her a while to get them on (but then she's not that quick about any aspect of getting dressed). The pattern is a strip of crisscrossing cables down the front and back.

Since the colorway is Lagoon and they did remind me of the gorgeous water of Norway, I am calling these the Norwegian Lagoon socks.

R loves them and she is so excited about wearing them -- unfortunately she'll probably grow out of them by the time fall arrives here in Virginia. So I may have to start another pair for her soon ...

And here is a gratuitous picture of the midnight sun in Henningsvær at 1:30am.

Travel Knitting

I was very indecisive about which yarn to bring with me on this trip. It had to be a sock yarn because of course I would be knitting socks (easy to pack, easy to knit) and it had to be beautiful because I'd knit nothing else for two weeks.

After pulling out a number of skeins of Socks That Rock and Lorna's Laces, I settled on a skein of Colinette Jitterbug in Lagoon. Brilliant! It's a stunning yarn and practically sprang onto my needles!

I knit these socks all over this spectacular country.

At the Pangarden's Waterway where the girls blissfully spent almost two hours in freezing cold water playing with locks, shutes, and water wheels.

At the Kvikne's Hotel in Balestrand -- by far the most gorgeous hotel on our trip in the middle of the Sognefjord.

Tired and travel weary at the train station.

And in the place the rock climbers call Paradise off Kallestrand in the Lofoten Islands.

Next post I'll show you the finished socks!

Back Home

Here I am knitting in the wilds of the Lofoten Islands

... and jet lagged. I don't know how Liz is feeling right now, but I could sure use a nap. Hope Greece was warm and beautiful! Norway was cold, very cold, and beautiful. I'll post more soon when I can sleep more than 4 hours in a row ...

Saying Goodbye

I'll be saying goodbye to the kids in a few days while Mr S and I head to Greece for 10 days of archaeological wonders, lots of ouzo, long walks and off-the-beaten path adventures. It's a chance for us to nurture our relationship after 7+ years of parenthood, so while I'll miss the kids, I'm so looking forward to a chance to talk to my husband about something other than schedules, honey-do lists, and the kids. The kids will be in the able hands of their grandmothers, and they'll be having so much fun, they'll hardly miss us at all.

But there's another goodbye this week, and this one is a sad one for the family. My daughter's best friend and her family are moving away. They're headed back home to Minnesota for a great job opportunity for her dad and to be closer to their family. Sofia has been her stalwart best friend for two years now, which in kid-years is close to forever. The news has affected my seven year old deeply, and her heart is close to broken when she thinks about it too much. Luckily, kids don't think about things too much, being so busy with the playing and the swimming and listening to the Broadway cast recording of Annie for the millionth time this week. But friends don't come easily for my girl, and she is anxious at the idea of a playground without Sofia next year. It's hard at seven to say goodbye to your best friend.

She's not the only one who's sad. I've made a few good friends (hello, Montco Sit and Knit!) since I moved, but Sofia's mom was one of my absolute favorites. She's down to earth, hilarious, and someone with whom I felt instantly comfortable which is rare for me in my current social milieu.  

So I did what any bereft knitter with friends moving to cold climates would do. Embracing my inner Tiennie, I knit each of them a hat. They'll need the wool hats, and this way, they are sure to remember us.

Check my Ravelry project page for details on each one.

I've been trying to comfort my daughter by assuring her they'll always have these two years, and they'll always be each other's first best friend. We've talked about being pen pals and e-mailing and always sending a Christmas card. I reminded her about how we moved away, and we still have our friends back in Richmond, even though we don't see them often.

And I told her how they now have matching hats, and on those frigid Minnesota mornings, when Sofia pulls on her hat, she'll think of her friend in Philadelphia wearing the same one. It's like the knit-version of the best-friend necklace, where each friend wears one half of the same charm.

And while I didn't make matching hats for Heidi and me, I too am hoping that on those cold mornings, when she's getting her three kids ready to brave to cold, she'll pull on these warm wool hats and think of us, her friends in Philadelphia.

Drowing in Beige

I married into a great family. It was part of what vaulted Mr S's and my relationship from serious to consideration-of-marriage. As I considered the future of our relationship, I wondered whether I could look forward to holidays with his family, year after year. Could I really eat Thanksgiving Dinner with these people 20 years from now? The answer was an unqualified yes, and remains so. This weekend brought us to Maryland for a family graduation, and we stayed at the home of one of my most favorite in-laws, Mr S's aunt. She is a brilliant and accomplished scientist, a reader, world traveler, insect-o-phile and knitter/crocheter.

Evidence of her handiwork were everywhere. There were full-sized crocheted blankets and an enormous throw slung over the back of the couch. Even the little blanket she offered Rosebud to sleep with was a pretty feather and fan blanket. I aspire to having my handknits all around my home some day.

I also had the chance to present my wonderful Mother-in-Law with a handknit birthday gift. I saw her a few weeks ago, and when she saw the beige wrap I was making, with trademark subtlety she mentioned how a beige wrap would just be perfect for air conditioned restaurants this Summer.

Now, I must really love my mother-in-law, because a knitting long rectangle of beige stockinette is pretty boring. The Sunday Market Shawl is fast, yes, but it is dull. But I do love her and am happy to indulge her knitting requests, so I made a second one for her.

This weekend, she happily modeled her shawl for me.


She was all excited to take pictures of the two of us wearing our matching shawls, but mine needs to be reknit. Somehow, I managed to drop the wrong stitches, so my lovely ladders disappeared into the body of shawl, making a droopy, burlap-esque wrap. I've already frogged it, and plan on knitting a THIRD long rectangle of beige stockinette.

Left, no ladders. Right, ladders.

I would take a break from all the beige, but I really do need this wrap. It's a perfect summer layer. It will go with everything, from casual to dressy. It can be worn like a scarf and over the shoulders like a shawl. The silk is perfect for throwing over one's shoulders in drafty Athenian restaurants and protecting against sea breezes on the Aegean and nighttime walks along Cretan harbors. And since I leave for Greece in two weeks, I'd better get knitting!

A Swallowtail at the End of School

Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn Clark, Interweave Knits Fall 2006
Yarn: Fleece Artist Sea Wool Bordello Sock Yarn, Kid Silk Haze (shade 628)
Needles: US 6s
Notes: This was supposed to be a quickie one week project to bang out before school ended -- a present for Nora's teacher. It ended up taking a bit longer (about 10 days, but still in time!) due to some errors on my part. The initial lace pattern, the budding lace, is so quick and easy to memorize that I got a bit overzealous. I zipped right past the transition point for the lily-of-the-valley lace. Not a problem, I thought. I'll just have it be a bit longer, I was sure that I had enough yarn and that it would be just fine.

Let's just stop here for a bit, shall we? Let's just reflect on how little I've learned about myself as a knitter. I won't belabor the point by linking the many, many posts where I've failed to correctly judge my yardage. Or fudged on the swatching. Or thought, no way am I tearing out, I'll just soldier on ... Sigh.

So (surprise!) the lily-of-the-valley lace does not flow easily from the budding lace pattern. The numbers have to be just right and I was coming up with lots of different number situations. In total frustration, I headed over to The Yarn Lounge where Melanie and I had some quality time with a calculator. She was very patient as I regurgitated my numbers at her ("and if you subtract 1 and divide by 2 and then subtract 16 and divide by 10 ... it's all wrong!").


As it worked out (thanks Melanie!), I have two extra repeats of the budding lace pattern and some important ssk's and k2tog's tucked in here and there in order to get the right numbers for the lily-of-the-valley lace.


And (suprise again!) I didn't have enough yarn but I was smart enough to place a lifeline before beginning the edging. So back to TYL, where the crew very wisely advised me to pick an edging yarn that was a contrasting color and type (you know, so it didn't look like I had run out of yarn). Enter the kid silk haze and the shawl was done! Hurray!


The yarns are beautiful together and I really, really loved this pattern -- with a strong exception for the nupps. The p5tog's just about broke my spirit. I was amazed at how the hot pink in the Sea Wool was softened by the heathery purples, pinks, and brownish-greens. Lovely.

May Nora's teacher have a beautifully restorative summer!

Socks on the Run

I swear there's been some knitting in my life but I'm not really coming up with any FOs lately. I've been busy with a bunch of Swiffer covers ...


... and I'm about to block a shawl which I will post about soon.

Life has been a bit crazy and I've been laying low trying (somewhat successfully) to keep my home a peaceful sanctuary from the general decompensating that seems to happen during the Spring/Summer transition. But for now here are some socks as we count down the final days of school (6!) and the days until we leave for Norway (9!).



These are for Nora and she loves the way they look with Luna's golden coat! I knit these basic top down socks with a heel flap and a kitchner toe. I tried to do a short row heel, but found that it seemed to make the "bend" for Nora's foot too small and she couldn't get them on comfortably -- was this due to poor technique? or is there really more room with a heel flap?


This yarn will be great for her sweaty feet since, as most of you know, it's 50% superwash wool, 25% soysilk, 22.5% cotton, and 2.5% chitin -- and naturally anti-bacterial. For knitting up, it was splitty.

I hope to have a shawl to show you soon!

Nothing Says Summer Like a Big Wool Blanket!

I received many helpful comments on the last post, encouraging me to knot the ends and call them fringe. I did consider this option, since there were a ton of ends to weave in. This blanket changes color every row. That means that there is an end at the beginning and end of all 122 rows. So 244 ends to weave in. If ever fringing the blanket was a good option, this was the time. But the fringe didn't look great (I tried), and really, I didn't want fringe.

So this called for serious hunkering. Certain bloggers (coughNOVAcough) will work diligently to avoid weaving in ends at the end of a colorful project, but I am not such a knitter. I do not mind hunkering down to when there are any many Netflix to enjoy. And long, entertaining audiobooks and podcasts. For two weeks, here and there, between other knitting projects I wove in the ends, and cranked out the last zillion last night during a two hour season finale. With all that entertainment, it went quickly, and the clean edges it produced is worth it.

I am so in love with this blanket. Love love love love love. I love that I can take 6 years of totally unrelated yarns (complete list and additional exhaustive details on Ravelry) and put them together to make a harmonious whole. The yarns I used were almost all worsted-ish wool (there might be some cotton or alpaca in there, and a few DK yarns used double), and were mostly muted solids, but there was a tweed or two, a marl, some kettle-dyed semi-solids, and even three skeins of Kureyon thrown in. The only method to choosing yarns was to try to distribute colors fairly evenly throughout the blanket and to try to make each color look good with the one before. That's it. It was a great exercise in color play and experimentation. I read somewhere that Kaffe Fasset said that if you aren't sure if your colors go together, throw in 25 more. This blanket (and this one -- amazing!) is proof of the truth in that.

There's memories in this blanket. There's handspun Ann gave me, and souvenir yarn from a sheep farm in NJ. There's yarn from sweaters I knit and sweaters I frogged and some yarns I bought that were total mistakes (poop brown Nature Wool, I'm looking at you). There's leftovers from my CPH and from the slippers that Mr S wore out. There's baby sweaters and scarves I gave as gifts. There's unrealized colorwork and felting projects. And now it's a blanket to warm my family. As I work on my current projects, I can't help but think about when I'll use the rest of the yarn, what blanket will incorporate its leftovers.

And it's already become a family favorite. The kids already snuggled under it while it was in progress, and my husband is appreciates that it is big enough for him to fit under it completely, since his feet stick out of all our other ones. But it's getting too warm to snuggle up under a wool blanket, so it is seeing some alternative use this morning.

This is what a crocheted blanket is for, right?

All That Remains

All that remains of my drawer-full of worsted oddballs and leftovers is these 6 partial balls of yarn. It's some Cascade 220, some Naturewool, a teeny ball of Bartlett's, and a ball of something soft and creamy white, its identity and ball band lost. The crocheted blanket is done.

The original plan for the blanket was to finish every last scrap of the worsted leftover/oddball yarn at least in this certain category of workhorse wool yarns. The idea wasn't about being stash-less, necessarily, but I know that if ever the urge hit to knit something in Cascade 220 or Naturewool, I could just go pick some up. I liked the idea of starting fresh and new, and just getting all of this old yarn used up and cleared out of the drawer.

But I've decided to return these bits to the stash. I value the inspiration that this kind of stash provides. I like having little oddballs to work into charity projects or craft projects for the kids. I know they'll get used eventually. I also like the idea that perhaps when the worsted stash gets to be unwieldy yet again, I'll use these yarns to make another blanket.

I also tried my best to evenly distribute the colors throughout the blanket. I rotated through at least 15 different yarns and about 25 different colors, and at the end of the blanket, I didn't want to repeat so many similar colors so closely. So yes, there was a design choice to be made.

And, yo, the blanket it big enough.

Now, all that remains to do on my blanket is to weave in all these ends.

I Wanna Be Popular!

One of my favorite features in Ravelry is searching the most popular patterns. It is surprising, because I generally eschew the popular for the obscure and unique. But in knitting, patterns are popular for very good reasons: a simple stitch pattern used to good effect (Jaywalkers), a universally flattering sweater (Hourglass), or it is just plain cool to knit (Clapotis).

I was looking down the list of popular socks, and I was surprised to find many great sock patterns that I had not yet knit. So in my constant search to keep up with the popular kids, I knit a pair of Hederas in honor of Project Spectrum's EARTH element.


I used Shibui sock yarn and let's just say it once and for all: Shibui pools. Big wedge-shaped striped pooling. On the lace portions of the sock, it isn't so noticeable, but look at the sole:

Yeah. That's some pooling.

Hedera socks are one of those patterns that are popular for a good reason: the stitch pattern is easy to memorize, and it creates a pretty sock. The only modification I made was to shorten the heel flap, which I think was written for a very high instep.

I'm thinking my next sock might be Charades, yet another popular sock pattern.

Evil Giant Space Mitts

I'll explain the title later ...

R has three preschool teachers: Jean, who is also the preschool's director; Anne, who is currently the love of R's life; and Michelle, who works on Mondays while Jean attends to whole school business.

Since this is R's last year at the preschool, the teachers get knitted presents: the sideways ribbed hat is for Jean, the syncopated cap is for Anne, and now for Monday Michelle:


I was going to title these Monday Michelle's Mitts and then I caught a good look at this picture. Do you see the terrified Play Mobile people in the picture? Huddled against the horrific mitted beast bearing down on them from the sky? Now you can see (against all other reason) why these are called ...


Pattern: Evil Giant Space Mitts (improvised)
Yarn: Patagonia Nature Cotton by Araucania
Notes: I've had this yarn in my stash forever. I mean forever. I've been knitting for maybe 5 years now (is that right Liz?) and I think this was some of my very first stash yarn bought maybe 4 years ago.

I needed to get rid of it and I thought it would fit with Project Spectrum and make some nice mitts for Michelle. These are much like the Maine Morning Mitts but a 2x2 rib and the gauge is totally different.

And these are far more evil.

Dramatic Stash Reduction

My stash lives in our guest room. I have a large dresser full: one drawer for wools, one drawer for cottons, and one mostly of odds and ends and leftovers. There's also an old china cabinet with all the books, sock yarns and other special yarns jammed in there. I keep sweater quantities in the closet, along with lots of other craft supplies. It's been a easy way to keep organized, but this summer we anticipate some longer visits from various family members. And this fall, we'd like to do some remodeling to the master bedroom and bath, so Mr S and I will have to move into the guest room during the duration of the construction.

So this Spring, I have been reorganizing the yarn room, making more room in the closet for our guests and their things, and getting rid of some other, unused things. But as I was working in there the weekend before MSDW, my husband got a full-on view of the stash. He saw all of it. At once. His eyes bugged out in shock, but just for a moment. He didn't say anything except something about my plans to buy more yarn at MDSW the following weekend.

Later, he acknowledged that I do knit a lot. And knitting a lot requires a lot of yarn. He really did understand. He was just surprised that it was that much. I've never hidden any of my purchases from my husband. I stay within the budget, and since he pays the bills every month, he knows how much I spend. And although he didn't get at all angry or even seem annoyed, I realized it was time to really reduce the stash. It has gotten a little unwieldy.

Dramatic stash reduction was called for. I not only had to make room for my guests, but I had to prove to my generous and understanding husband that I really did intend on using all of that yarn, that my abundance had a purpose. There was only one thing to do: crochet a huge scrapghan. Being a crochet project, it would use up a ton of yarn, clearing a lot of space in the yarn dresser, and it would create a useful item for the whole family.

I cleared out all of the worsted-ish woolen leftovers, singletons, or random yarns bought for unrealized projects from the wool drawer. I stuck them in the basket and began Bella Dia's Vintage Vertical Stripe Blanket.

Week One: 27 rows

I have been crocheting at a feverish pace for two weeks, and currently have 56 rows of double crochet, or a blanket about 70" long x 20 " wide. The rows are long but simple, as this pattern has you crochet into the space created by the row below, instead of having to insert your hook into the V's of another stitch. As a crochet beginner, it is a great project. I'm trying to crank out as much as I can while I am still enthusiastic about the blanket and before the weather gets too hot to have a huge wool blanket on my lap.

Week 2: 56 rows

I'm still working of different knitting projects as well, all from stash. But for now, it's all about cranking out those long double crochet rows and using up all this yarn.

Out With The Old

I need structure when in an overwhelming situation. So I often make arbitrary limits just to bring some order and control to the chaos. Therefore it seemed only natural for me to create some kind of absurd rule for MDSW 2008 purchases: I couldn't buy yarn from any vendor from which I had bought yarn in 2007 that was still in my stash.

So no Brooks Farm. No Tess. But I was able to buy from The Fibre Company due to these quick knits just before we left ...

Pattern: Sideways Ribbed Cap by Cathy Campbell
Yarn: Terra from The Fibre Company (sunflower and light indigo)
Needles: US 7s
Notes: Thank you Liz for your inspiration! This hat is an end of the year present for another of R's teachers. We thought the lightest yellow of the sunflower was reminiscent of sunshine and the indigo evoked a clear blue sky. Perfect for our lovely outdoorsy preschool teacher.


It took me a while to find buttons that would work until The Yarn Lounge got some Danforth Pewter's buttons. I didn't realize until I got home that I've actually been in their store in Middlebury, VT. The business is wonderful and they are right near the Vermont Organic Fiber Company. Sounds like a fun day of shopping next time I'm up in the area!

Terra is 60% Merino, 20% Baby Alpaca, and 20% Silk. That equals 100% delicious. And at 100 yards a skein, these are better than some of the skimpy yardage skeins that I saw this year at MDSW.


Pattern: Ruffles Scarf by Amanda Blair Brown from Scarf Style
Yarn: Terra (Sunflower) from The Fibre Co.
Needles: US 7s
Notes: I had a skein (and a bit more) leftover from the hat, so I tried a Ruffles Scarf. These short rows were actually a lot of fun to knit. I didn't have enough for a long scarf, but it's just enough for R!

And now may I present my new Fibre Company yarn ...

Organik

Limited Edition Longhorn

MDSW 2008 Round Up - Picture Heavy

I am terribly late blogging about MDSW, and since Ann did an excellent write-up herself here, I'll just share the spoils of the day.

Row 1: Indie hand-dyes: Woolarina, C*EYE*BER Fibers, and Brooklyn Handspun, all procured from the Cloverhill Yarns booth; Fibre Company Terra in Cochineal (50% off, y'all!), Dancing Leaf Farm Handspun

Row 2: Fibre Company Road to China (did I mention 50% off?), Brooks Farm Acero, Spirit Trail Fiberworks Toci

Handspun thrummed mitten kit by Stefania

I got some Socks that Rock, but I didn't wait in line to get it. I left that to Ann.
STR Lightweight Rare Gems Colorway, a prize hand delivered by Jenna!

The best part, of course, was getting to spend the day with Ann, my co-blogger, sister-in-fiber, and dear, dear friend.

MDSW Fun and Some Syncopation

Phew! What a weekend! It was such tremendous fun hanging out with Liz on Saturday -- and extra special fun meeting her Montco Sit and Knit friends! I keep thinking about how much fun it would be to take a trip up to Philly just to hang out and knit with these people.

The BackBou did a great job of just taking the kids away to look at dogs and sheep and funnel cake while I was browsing stalls with Liz and standing for an hour in the Socks That Rock line.


But now I have my first skeins of STR! There are some rockin' BSJs are in my future ...

I won't bore everyone with a stash enhancement report (I did well), instead I'll show you the great picture from the day ...


Aileen, Sally, Lolly, Isel, Liz, a mystery guest, and Jenna. As you can see from the "Rabbits" sign, we were at the packed Ravelry meet-up.

And now for a FO!



Pattern: Syncopated Caps by Kate Gilbert, Interweave Knits Summer 2007
Yarn: Plain and Fancy Sheep and Wool Co
Needles: US 4s
Notes: No pattern mods even though I thought I would need to add some length. However, I knit the women's size and it fit me perfectly. The yarn, as I've said before, is a dream. Knit with it. Love it.



I had bought the yarn so that R and I would have matching caps, but she really, really wants this to be an end-of-the-year present for one of her teachers. I can't say no since I love her almost as much as R does.