audioknits

First snow day of the season

It started as a 2 hour delay, which I'd anticipated, then the call came that school is cancelled today, which was a surprise.  Only a few schools are closed in RI, but it is usually worse weather inland in CT.

As I've been battling a cold since Sunday night I welcome the day off.  And I plan to get a lot done: put up the Christmas candles and other decorations; schoolwork; housework; and FINISH Faded Ribbons, before the yarn I ordered for the Scotty's hats arrives from Webs.  I'm determined to have a modeled photo next post.

Maybe I'm turning the chickens into wimps, but I turn the heat lamp on in the coop whenever the overnight forecast is for the mid-30's or below.  I bought a second lamp that I will nag D to install so that heat will be distributed more equitably among all 8 girls. 

The hens have been so productive that I've run out of the egg cartons I'd saved up, and put out a call through the school email for donations.

I'm a little nervous- this morning I heard unfamiliar bird voices in the backyard and saw what I thought was an injured bird on the ground.  When I went out to investigate it was actually 2 birds which I couldn't identify, which flew up squabbling with each other.  I'm afraid they may be some type of hawk.

Friday post

A whole lot of nothing out of the ordinary is going on, but at least Faded Ribbons is nearing completion well ahead of next weekend's deadline.  Once the midriff ribbing is done (I'm just knitting until the 2 remaining skeins of black run out) and the v-neck is adjusted to my liking- it's done!

Then I must get back to K's Owl sweater, as well as 2 Scotty's Hats requested by both husband and son.  Then there are 2 baby girls expected at school...so those projects will keep me busy.  Oh yeah, and there's that wedding shawl I need to restart...

Thankful

I'm thankful that baby Helena's Helena cardi fit her perfectly, and should for a little while anyway.  It's her color, too!

It was so funny when John, who hasn't seen his 18 month old cousin Logan since at least last spring, walked into the room and Logan went running over to him and grabbed him 'round the legs.  We figure he probably mistook Tall Man for his Uncle Ethan, before he realized his mistake!

Thanksgiving Eve

The first side of Faded Ribbons is done.  Imagine the piece folded in half from top to bottom: to the left is the sleeve, the center will be the V-neckline, and the bottom when seamed to the other half will be picked up and knit around for several inches in the main color (black) only.

Tonight I'll make buttermilk pie and tomorrow morning corn pudding to take over my sister's.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Sidetracked

This past week I started and have been working exclusively on the Faded Ribbons top.  It's knit from sleeve to sleeve, and then stitches are picked up around the bottom and the ribbed midriff is added.  If I keep at it, hopefully it will be done in time for the one Christmas party we're likely to attend in a few weeks.  Colorwise it's turning out more vibrant than the original, but the Rozetti Alora was so difficult to locate that I grabbed what colors I could at Discontinued Brand Name Yarn.

I was excited to receive a comment from designer Deborah Newton last week.  Wow!  She commented on the post about the 1987 McCall's needlework magazine I got at the library book sale that featured many of her designs, which have passed the test of time.

Two Shakespeares

We enjoyed unseasonably warm weather (60ish) the last few days.  The chickens are laying 5-6 eggs daily on average despite the shorter days, and one day last week all 8 laid, and in the henhouse to boot.  Last month the neighbors discovered a cache of 25 eggs in an abandoned windowbox in their backyard!  I told them they would make great Halloween ammunition.  Since then the neighbor blocked off access to their favorite spots on his property, (and I've been delivering a dozen eggs weekly to stay on their good side.)  After which the girls seem to all realize now that the henhouse is the place to lay eggs.

I finished listening to 2 very different autobiographies of Shakespeare.  The first was by, of all people, Bill Bryson, known for his humorous books on travel, language, and Nearly Everything.  In this book he tells us a lot about the world during Shakespeare's times, and what little is truly known of Shakespeare.  He sticks with the facts in his entertaining way in 5 CDs. 

On the other end of the spectrum was the 16 disc biography by Peter Ackroyd.  He goes into a great deal of detail about everyday Elizabethan life.  Having read Bryson's book first I realized how much conjecture is in Ackroyd's book, with phrases like "it is probable; most likely; one may surmise; it may be conjectured," etc.  He did nicely discuss the background of many of the plays.

The only time I really read Shakespeare was in a high school class which I enjoyed, especially as the teacher was from England and her accent gave the readings that authentic touch.  The books we read from were annotated, which of course immensely aided our understanding.  But that class was just the tip of the Shakespeare iceberg, and I want to learn more, so I'm making a goal to read all of Shakespeare (with annotated texts.) We'll see....

The wedding shawl is again off the needles and I'll try again this weekend.  Meanwhile I've started something easy and fun on size 9's- Faded Ribbons.

Two years might not be long enough

Kate and Dan plan to get married in September 2011.  I have my heart set on knitting her a wedding shawl.   The way lace knitting and I don't get along, I envision myself casting off the morning of the wedding.

I've had "A Curved Shawl with Diamond Edging"  from Victorian Lace Today in my queue a long time.  I started it with the Skacel lace yarn from Stitches - several times.  The shawl is now kicked out of the queue.  Both odd and even rows are lace patterning- no blessed  'rest' every other row.

So I've switched to the Triangular Summer Shawl from Nancy Bush's Knitted Lace of Estonia.  I've started it for the third time and hope to get past the third row this time.  It's a good thing this big hank of merino lace only cost $15.

Candy Stripes hat

Here is the hat I knit for my grandnephew for Christmas, the only Christmas knitting for this year.  It's the Candy Stripes Hat from Sharon Turner's book, Monkeysuits.  It calls for Tahki Cotton Classic, and I used leftovers from the Floral Border Jacket.  Unmodeled, the hat looks like a blob, but the photos in the book remind me of a newsboy cap or train engineer cap.  (Shown below, top left.)  On my daughter's grownup head it resembles a Rasta hat, which is a good look too.  I should have knit this in the round to avoid a less than stellar back seam. 

I've finished the back border pattern of the Raglan Rib pullover; "only" 9 inches of 2X2 ribbing now before the armhole decreases.

Happy birthday Ella

My grandniece Helena, called Ella, celebrated her first birthday.  Baby cousins were in abundance, as was a delcious Korean spread by her maternal grandma.  There was also a two part traditional Korean ceremony.  During the Toljabee ceremony several objects were placed before her and the item that she first touched would predict her future.  Ella touched two items just to confirm that she will be a little genius: a pencil and a book.

We left before present opening time, so I am hoping to hear soon whether the "Helena" cardigan I knit for her will fit her, at least for a short while. She is in the 90th percentile for height.

I've gotten a good start on the Raglan Ribbed Pullover which is very easy.  The little knitting slump that has ensnared me since school started has eased somewhat since finishing the Hogwarts Scarf and attending the inspiring Stitches.  I've also started a toddler hat for Christmas.

Stitches East 2009

My friend Barbara and I went to Stitches East in Hartford on Friday and Saturday and had a fabulous time.  Neither of us had classes on the Friday.  We scoped out the overwhelming market first.  I bought nothing that day but jotted down items that caught my eye which I would return to the next day.  I was only able to check out 8 of the 10 aisles of vendors before the market closed that evening, after which we attended the fashion show and dinner.  In that order, which I thought was poor planning.  It was a good thing Barbara and I had eaten a late lunch before hitting the market as the dinner did not start until nearly 9:00 PM. 

 

Saturday was spent in classes.  I went to a 6 hour class on customizing patterns.  The instructor was Gwen Bortner of Knitability, and she was an excellent and knowledgeable teacher.  Our pre-class homework was to knit a 6" square swatch in the pattern stitch of a pattern you would like to alter in some manner, along with the pattern and schematics.  My swatch and pattern for the Bar Code pullover are shown in the previous post.  As I suspected, everything boils down to math.  In my case, where the pattern is written for only one size and I would end up casting on at least 30  fewer stitches  than in the original pattern, Gwen told me it would be easier to 'rewrite' the pattern rather than just plug in the formulas we learned for simpler adjustments.  Sigh.  I knew I couldn't avoid getting into math.  I won't be tackling it any time soon, but will probably make it a summer project. 

Back to the market.  I finished perusing the remaining two aisles and then made final decisions.  I got some fun items, including three funny knitter's pins from the Mannings booth; a Stitches tee shirt (which I wore to work today for Wear Red/Say No to Drugs Day); some pretty flowery pink buttons that kept drawing me back so that I knew I must have them; and a chicken kit!

Also, a kit for a curly brim hat and one for a cool braided wrap, and a skein of pure white super fine Skacel Merino Laceweight for a wedding shawl.  My splurge and absolute favorite purchase was the Shona Vest by Jane Slicer-Smith  from the Trendsetter Yarn booth.  The sample vest took my breath away in its cabley goodness; the Merino VIII yarn really makes them 'sproing'.  I tried the sample on on Friday and knew I would make a beeline for it next day.  The sample was in what I will call pistachio green, which I was tempted to buy but didn't want to be a complete clone, so I chose an equally delicious curry color. 

Our room was only on the 5th floor of the Marriott but it was a nice view.

I'm already planning to attend Stitches 2010, which will also be in Hartford.