Everywhere Knitting

Hibernation time!

2011-10-29T19:19:00.001-05:00

Just a quick note to say this blog has not been forgotten. In fact, it keeps me up at night. There's so much I want to say here, but my heart hasn't been in it. I have been in a pretty negative mental state lately, and I worry that whatever I say will be tinged in gray. So I'm going to continue this break from blogging about knitting. Check my Ravelry page if you're interested in what I'm knitting. I'll post pictures there soon, now that I have an iPhone (yay!). If you miss me so much and want to read what I write, I have been interviewing artists for the Western Folklife Center's blog. It's lots of fun to do, and just about the only thing I'm enjoying at work right now. Check it out.

Here's what I've been working on lately.

Otto is finished, but the Beekeeper's Quilt is a long term project. I've got about ten percent of the hexipuffs made. It's so fun, though, that I think this project will eventually be finished. Maybe even sooner than I expect.

Trust that if you have a blog, I am still reading your words.

Blank

2011-07-12T19:30:00.002-05:00

There are so many things on my mind these days: work, living in the desert, derby, knitting, relationships, money, and travel. I keep thinking about this blog and the purpose it served when I started it. It's primarily a record of my knitting and travels lately, but it was intended to connect knitting with my thoughts on other subjects. Though I'm incredibly busy lately, and lazy when I'm not busy, I want to bring this blog back to something more thoughtful. So, in the spirit of that, I'm not going to post anything today. I am going to link to a thoughtful and thought-provoking blog post on forgiveness by author and artist Teresa Jordan. I have a lot of rage these days (perhaps my next, thoughtful post will connect my rage and knitting), so the lessons Teresa teaches in her post may become useful to me. I find all of Teresa's posts to be well researched and relevant. They are long and take careful reading, but they are always worth it.

Here is a picture from my latest trip, just for good measure.

June Sucks

2011-06-11T15:39:00.005-05:00

Here are some photos of the things I finished lately. Thermis and Honey are cowls I finished back in May.

Thermis

Two, count 'em, two knots in Calmer. Thank goodness I was only a couple rows into Thermis!

Wonderhorse modeling Honey

Zoz I finished when we were in Mountain Home, Idaho, to pick up my car after having its clutch replaced. I have been working on Mandel since mid-May, but after knitting the body and most of one sleeve, I ripped it out. Since we were in Mountain Home (the weekend my clutch went out), I didn't have anything to knit after ripping out the sweater. I've restarted it now, but I didn't want to risk being without knitting, so I took along Zoz. It was so fast! I knit it all in one night.

Wonderhorse modeling Zoz

Mandel, take two

Why does June suck, you might ask? Work. My clutch went out. Money woes. Mysterious doorbell ringing at 2:30 am when I'm home alone. Brian away in San Francisco. Messy house. No time for grocery shopping. And much, much more.

There's a major deadline coming up at work. It's always a struggle to get everything in by the deadline. Some of it is just communicating with artists, some is interoffice disagreements and strife. A big part of it is total disregard for established deadlines. For whatever reason, I'd like to just skip over June and head into July.

I don't think anyone from work reads this blog, and I don't think too many colleagues read it, either, so I'm going to put this out there: I need a new job. The WFC has had us on furloughs for the three years now. I simply cannot afford to live in Elko anymore. Add in the trouble like I described above, and I'm ready to leave. It's rather disconcerting that I'm deeper in debt living in a small town than I was in Chicago, where I actually pulled myself out of debt enough to buy a condo. I'm also done with the desert. I want to be somewhere lush. We're mainly looking at San Francisco, but at this point, if there's grass, a lake (or ocean), and it's in a city (or very, very near one), then I'll consider it. So if you've got leads for work in the cultural sector, please let me know. Or if you know of a well-paying retail job or office work. I can do that, too, as long as I can afford to eat.

Luckily, I have vacation planned for the end of the month. I'm so excited to make it to one of my uncle's pig roasts. Not for the pig, of course, but for the fun and family. We're then heading to a wedding and spending some time in Toronto. Where there's grass. And a lake. And a city. I can't wait.

Oh, and one more thing!

That's me with the blue knees!

May Flowers

2011-05-10T00:24:00.002-05:00

I'm so glad it's Spring. The daffodils next to my front porch make me smile every day. I can't wait for the tulips. The flowers outside my door are later than the others in the courtyard, so we get to enjoy their beauty longer.

I invite all of you on Ravelry to look at my projects page. I have been knitting. In fact, I've been knitting a lot. I had to frog a sweater because my gauge swatch lied, so it looks like I've only knit a cowl and a pair of socks since March. I'm working on another cowl, the Madeline Tosh Honey Cowl. I'm using a slinkier yarn than called for, Arucania's Ruca, which is what I started the sweater with. It's pooling some, but I don't think it will matter when all is said and done. I don't have any photos, sadly. I've just been too busy and too preoccupied to keep up.

Brian and I went to San Francisco, and now the city is on our minds. I noticed so many wooly cowls in San Francisco. I'll post photos soon, probably after Honey is finished. Oh, and the next bout is on May 21. Let me know if you need tickets. I'll try to get Brian to take pictures this time! We're both so bad at remembering the camera!

In Like a Lion

2011-04-04T17:05:00.007-05:00

It's been a rough couple of months. But let me back up to the giveaway. It was fantastic! I gave away everything but one pair of fingerless gloves that didn't photograph well. I even got a friendly knit monster in trade! Gerald R. Ford sits on the couch-bench with us, watching TV while I knit.

Even though it's been rough (99% of the hard times are at work), I've been busy and knitting like crazy. The first-ever Roller Derby Bout in Elko is on April 16. I made the roster! I'm sure I'll be a second or third-string blocker, but I'm excited to play. Practices take up some time, and the Sunday morning one is right in the middle of my weekend, so Brian and I have been staying in Elko. We made a quick run to Salt Lake so I could buy some things for my derby outfit. I bought eight pairs of tights to try out!

Some deadlines at work have changed so my April is going to be much busier than in years past. Add derby practice to that and I'm stuck here for a while. I haven't had a real break since Christmas. Brian and I are heading to San Francisco over Easter, for a friend's birthday. I'm trying to plan the early part of that week, too, so I can finally take a vacation. I need a rest. A serious, not-at-home, no-responsibilities kind of vacation is the only thing that is going to keep me sane.

Here are some knits I've finished since the giveaway (plus a couple that were finished before but not picture-ready).

Duck Feet for Julie's baby. Finished 1/18, sent much later.

Surtsey in Yellow for Donella's babies. Finished 2/9. Buttons made (by me!) and added later.

Surtsey in Green for Donella's babies. Finished 2/22. Buttons made (by me!) and added later.

Indian Summer. Finished 2/24. Button made (by me!) and added later.

Toorie. Finished 2/28. So cute.

Cassady. Finished 3/10. I made this to try the technique. It's clever.

Java Socks for Brian. Finished 3/16. The next pair of socks I make for Brian will be tighter, I promise. He wants more socks, so I'll be able to get it right.

Scallop Lace Hat. Finished 3/27. It looks better now that it's blocked.

I also knit a cover for one of my knee pads. but I didn't take a picture of it. It's just a black blob anyway. It was a two-hour knit last Saturday, 4/1. I may make another cover with a tighter knit, but probably not before the bout.

Full Moon Blanket WIP. This is an ongoing project since 3/17. I don't normally knit blankets, but I'm waiting for some yarn from Pickles, which is in Norway, so I can knit their Impress Dress for another baby (Annelise). I got distracted while at their site and cast on for this blanket. I'm sure I'll pick up another project in the meanwhile. Brian picked out some more Malabrigo Sock, which I used on the Java socks, for another pair of socks, and I just impulse-bought two full bags of yarn (twenty skeins for $45!). I'd like to start a sweater or vest. It's time for a full-sized garment.

So that's it. I'm tired. I'm working hard at derby. I'm burned out at work. Knitting is my salvation right now. Thank goodness for knitting.

Giveaway Update

2011-03-01T15:15:00.002-06:00

There are two items left: the pink Reading Mitts and the multi-colored Cafe au Lait mitts, which look much better in person than in the picture.

I plan on closing the giveaway on Friday. Thanks to everyone who is interested in my knits! I'll mail out your items this week.

FO Giveaway

2011-02-05T17:50:00.013-06:00

A little over a year ago, I made a resolution to knit only what I want to knit. It's been great for eliminating the stress I was putting on myself to finish things. There has been a downside, however. I have a whole pile of knits with no home! So I am offering them up to anyone who wants them. First come, first served. To claim an item, email me or leave a comment. I prefer email because Blogger doesn't have a good reply system. My email is kubackit AT hotmail DOT com. Please write something in the subject line that indicates you are responding to this post. I'd like to give one item to a person, but go ahead and list everything you like. If your first choice isn't available, then I'll send the next on the list. If no one claims the second item you like, I'll mail that to you, too. I will leave this open until March 31, or whenever everything has been claimed, and I'll indicate which items have been claimed.

I'll list the pattern and the yarn I used, and link to both my Ravelry page and the pattern's website, if it has one, so you can see the inspiration.

First item: Claimed!

Capucine in Suss Twisted (100% Cotton) (Ravelry link). This was fun to make. I think it will look best on someone with long hair. Note that it's made from cotton, so it will stretch. The top pom pom is just tied on so it can be removed. I don't have the skills to make a cute bird for the side, so I hope whoever chooses this will adorn it with something cute. The designer's blog has a lot of great examples.

Second item: Claimed!

Faux Bois in Berroco Inca Gold (Ravelry link). I have a thing for faux bois. These are stranded knitting, which I'm no expert at. They are a bit tight, therefore, I'd recommend them for someone with small hands.

Third item: Claimed!
Marram in Rowan Pima Cotton DK (Ravelry link). While I was knitting it I knew I should add another repeat of the pattern. I didn't. This is short, so it would probably fit a smaller head better, maybe a child's head.

Fourth item:Claimed!
Veyla in Datura Fiber Arts 100% Superwash Merino Wool (Ravelry). These were fun to knit. The yarn is a bit thin, so these are also best suited to smaller hands. My hands fit fine, but stretch them a little too much for my tastes. I can add buttons before I mail these (please give me time to find some--there aren't any buttons in Elko), or I can leave them off so you can add buttons of your choosing.

Fifth item:
Café au Lait mitts in Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend (Ravelry). Please look at the original pattern to get a better idea of how these look. The lace pattern is somewhat lost in this yarn, but they are very soft and warm.

Sixth item: Claimed!
Herringbone Hat in Berroco Inca Gold (Ravelry). This is my own design using the herringbone stitch pattern from the Harmony Guides: Knit and Purl. I felt like trying out a new stitch pattern on a hat, and this is the result. I love the way the decreases on the crown turned out.

Seventh item:
Susie's Reading Mitts in Blue Sky Alpacas Suri Merino (Ravelry). These are luscious in a suri alpaca, merino blend.

Eighth item: Claimed!
Noro Hat in Noro Chirimen (Ravelry). I like the fun striping in Noro, but the mohair content in the majority of their yarns makes it impossible for me to use. This was another attempt at using a non-mohair Noro yarn. The yarn just isn't for me, even though I love the color changes. Believe it or not, this hat works for either a man or a woman.

Ninth item: Claimed!
Kaura (no pattern website) in RYC Cashcotton 4 ply (Ravelry). I love this yarn. I felt like knitting some bobbles when I chose this pattern. It's a dense fabric, so the hat will be very warm.

Tenth item: Claimed!

Daybreak in Zwerger Garn Opal and Colinette Jitterbug (Ravelry). I felt like knitting a shawl, which is unusual for me, and the examples of this were so nice. I knit the smallest size, so it can be worn like a scarf tucked into a coat.

Ten items! If this is successful, I think will try to giveaway knits once I've accumulated another ten items, which should be soon, since I've nearly finished another hat!

My apologies to anyone reading this in a reader. I don't know how to edit the post without reposting it.

Presents and Poetry

2011-02-05T16:38:00.008-06:00

So many things were completed since my last real post: 13 FOs, one frogged hat, and one cowboy poetry gathering. Sure, it's been two months, but that many projects is a lot for me these days, especially those days leading up to the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

I'm not sure where to start. The Gathering was great. I had been feeling about a month behind in preparations (probably because I'd lost a month's worth of work days to furlough) until two weeks before the event. Then, magically, I was ready. I'm sure a few things got overlooked, but all in all, it was a great Gathering. I heard so many compliments--people don't usually tell me those things, since I'm the invisible hand running the machine--which was really nice. I even got a present! I usually only get amazing hugs, but Doris Daley gave me chocolate straws (and hugs). I finally shared them with the staff, but I pretended they were just for me for about a week.

I didn't see much music or poetry, as is usually the case, but I did get to see my friends Andy Hedges and Andy Wilkinson perform. Andy Hedges's wife, Alissa, sang with them, too. They are all great. Video and audio from some of the shows are available on the Western Folklife Center's website. We also blogged during the event. Find that here.

Now on to knitting. Here are some things that became presents (in Blogger upload order, not chronological).

Windschief, which I will some day send to my brother.

Owl, with a magnet in the bottom, for Brian

Cat toy. It was supposed to be a sock, but I did not like the colors at all. I ripped back to the toe, seamed it up, and voila! a cat toy.

Mittens with flip-top thumbs (my pattern) so Brian can use his iPhone.

Soxies for Brian's Mom.

Men's Cashmere Scarf (not cashmere) that Brian will probably never wear (don't be surprised if you see it in my giveaway pile)

Argyle Felted Hot Pad for my kitchen. I always forget that white yarn doesn't felt at the same rate as colored yarn, so I pulled out the blue argyle pattern.

I also finished Duck for a pregnant friend. I'm not sure whether she reads this, so no pictures until I mail them off.

On impulse, Brian and I went to Portland after Christmas (which was spent with his mom in Mountain Home, ID). I visited a few yarn shops while we were there.

Malabrigo Sock

Rowan Purelife (I made the mittens above out of this)

2 skeins of Shelter. I used one skein on a hat that I ended up frogging. It was knit too tightly and I couldn't get the lace pattern (as usual).

All of the above were from Knit Purl. Very nice store.

Purple Lotus Sweet Grass hand dyed cotton from Gossamer

Cascade Eco + from Close Knit. I'd been to Close Knit the first time I was in Portland. It's a really great store. I'd probably shop there a lot if I lived in Portland.

I didn't love Portland the first time Brian took me (nearly a year ago, for our second date), but my mind was changed this time. The weather was awful, but I miss the moist air of the Midwest so much that I didn't mind. My car minded, fogging up and condensing on the inside every day, all day. We ate some amazing food. Food I dream about. We did some great sightseeing to Sauvie Island and The Grotto. We also explored some neighborhoods, and did a lot of window shopping. My favorite day was spent in Ground Kontrol, dropping quarters into classic video games. That day reminded me of the times when my dad would take me to the arcade after school. All the games were from that era, except most of the pinball, which was newer and reminded me of college when I would spend my laundry money on pinball. I love pinball.

Ever since I started knitting without an intended recipient (for the most part), I have accumulated a pile of homeless knits. I have an idea to give these away to whomever expresses interest in them. I recently gifted the Snapdragon mitts to CarrieK because she liked them. Why not give away the rest of the items to people who will use them? I think this post is too long and picture heavy to do it here, so I'll list the items next week. Stay tuned!

Too Busy

2011-01-12T00:56:00.002-06:00

I've knit about a million fingerless gloves since we last spoke, but it's Gathering Time! so no new posts until February. See you in Elko!

FOs and WIPs

2010-12-05T17:39:00.008-06:00

I've been thinking about the content of these posts. I'd like to get back to more thoughtful posts, rather than just lists of things. I think it says a lot about the priorities and the anxieties in my life since I moved to Elko. I'm busier than ever, but I'm also less contemplative. Except during my "crisis of faith" last year, I don't give much thought to my life and my circumstances. I don't take time out of my schedule to think, or to do things that are meaningful and thoughtful.

I've been on a hat kick lately. Hats and mitts. This rest of this post is yet another list of finished objects and works in progress.

I made this hat to go with the fingerless mitts. I also made a pair of very colorful fingerless mitts (with partial fingers, even. I hate fingers) for my sister to give to a friend. I forgot to take a picture before I sent them off.

I also forgot to take a picture of the washcloth I made for Brian's mom. Her birthday was the Monday after Thanksgiving, but we were in San Francisco. We did go up for Thanksgiving, though, which was nice. I finished the parts to Flo there. I haven't had the steam to seam yet, though. I'll probably have to redo one of the bodies, though, since I think I skipped a few rows on the second side.

I knit this on the way to and from San Francisco. I messed up the cables the first time they crossed. I dropped down and fixed them. Or so I thought. One of them is still messed up (on the side not shown in the photo). It was dark, and I was in the car. Oh, well. My fabric is a bit dense. I held two strands of RYC Cashsoft 4 Ply together. It will be a very warm hat.

I picked up a skein of Malabrigo Twist at ImagiKnit so I could finally finish these. I have mixed feelings about that yarn store. They have a great stuff, but it's a bit overwhelming. Especially the plant-fiber and synthetics room. I can't seem to find yarns in that room that I like, and it takes me a few go-rounds to find what I'm looking for in either room.

I bought two skeins of some Noro Chirimen, which only has 16% wool. I get the love for the fun colors, but the yarn just doesn't do it for me like it does for the Noro cult. This hat shows off the striping perfectly. I should have used smaller needles, though. The hat is a bit more slouchy than the pattern. Paired with the yarn, I think it will be a nice springtime hat for someone.

Today I started on Windscheif.

I'd like to start on a sweater. There are about five that I can't decide among. Of course, now that the weather is cold, I don't have the right yarn for any of these sweaters. I focused on increasing my cotton DK-weight stash this fall, but now I'm without a sweater's worth of yarn in any animal fiber. Sigh.

Promotion

2010-11-20T02:13:00.003-06:00

Sabrina Gschwandtner wrote a short article for Interweave Knits about my friend Aimee Lee. Aimee often comments here, so she might be familiar to you. If not, or even if, read the article, go to her website, tell others about her, and buy her work! She's an artist, and makes her living that way. I'm amazed and lucky to have friends like her.

NaKniSweMo is a No Go

2010-11-06T16:12:00.003-05:00

I thought about joining NaKniSweMo this year. Of the 434 projects in my Ravelry queue, 268 of them are sweaters. It seemed like joining along with the 700 other people who are in the Ravelry group would get those needles moving through 50,000 stitches in no time. Alas, November is just too busy for more deadlines.

Brian's birthday is in November, on Thanksgiving this year. We're going to spend it with his mom and then head to San Francisco the next day to see Lucero in concert. We'll see our friend Dan, which is always a treat. Brian suggested that he'd like a pair of socks, so I've been whipping through those. He tried the first one on, after the foot was finished, before the heel, and we discovered it was too big. Gauge swatches lie. So I ripped and started over with more negative ease and better math. The sock is still a little roomy, but it will do. He also mentioned that he wouldn't mind a fun color. This, after I'd already started knitting! He's so green-gray-blue-black that I didn't think he'd like something with some color. I guess it means I'll have to knit a second pair later.

I finished all the knitting on Goodale. I still need to tack down the front flaps, but I need space and space-out time for that. I've been working late and then too tired for seaming, so that's on hold. I'm not sure who this sweater will fit, anyway. It fits me fine, but I can't wear wool. I'll probably give it to Jen. Who knows when I'll see her next. My life is so empty without a visit to see her and the kids, I might have to give this sweater to someone else just so it doesn't make me sad.

While I was waiting for Goodale to block, I started a pair of long fingerless mitts, inspired by the pattern at The Purl Bee. My gauge is completely off, and I didn't follow the pattern for the thumb. Turns out I did the thumb exactly like the pattern, though I went straight to the ribbing, eliminating the striped rounds. I'm having lots of fun knitting these. I think I might make a matching hat, maybe with a few slipped-stitch ridges running up the sides into the decreases.

Finally, I made a quick pair of slippers for Brian. They are kind of silly, with bulky feet and worsted cuffs, but the pattern was free. They actually turned out pretty well. He wears them, which is the most important part. Thankfully, Brian likes knitted gifts.

I think I'll still make a sweater, but I don't know if it will have enough stitches to qualify for NaKniSweMo. I will most definitely take longer than the rest of November to finish it.

October Woes

2010-10-15T21:00:00.004-05:00

This is all I have to show for knitting in September.

I feel like I've been knitting a lot, but I guess not. I also knit a hat for Jen, which I sent off without giving it its moment in the spotlight. It was a pretty hat, though the cable sections seemed too difficult for the effect. If I were to knit it again, I'd check some pattern books about how to make leaves. I knitted on the I-cord, too, instead of sewing it on.

The first hat in the photo above is Marram. This is an example of when you should listen to your instincts. I had a feeling I should knit another repeat of the pattern, but I wanted to finish the hat, so I ignored myself. We were in San Francisco and I wanted to finish it so I could wear it on the chilly nights. I didn't even do that. Should have knit that repeat. It's an easy but interesting pattern, so I might knit it again. Most of it was knit during the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. Fun.

The green hat took all of three episodes of whatever we were watching. Brian and I had been talking about the word "toboggan" to mean a ribbed hat. I guess they call them that in Virginia. I just call them hats. So I made him one from some Plymouth Alpaca Tweed that I got before we left San Francisco. We visited ImagiKnit and Bi-Rite Creamery, delaying our departure for rapture instead. We had the best ice-cream scooper, and I spent too much on yarn. Oh my. My two most favorite things within two blocks of each other. I love San Francisco.

I've started Goodale, but I only took one skein with me to Ketchum for the Trailing of the Sheep Festival. I'm not alternating skeins, so hopefully it will work out okay.

I spent way too much in Ketchum because Isabela's Needlepoint is closing. The sales weren't even that good, but I couldn't resist orange Misti Alpaca or orange Malabrigo. I'm a sucker.

October is especially busy at work, and we've made it even busier this year by having five public programs (all of which I'm responsible for running). On top of the extra work, we're still on our three-Mondays-a-month furloughs. Getting things done is difficult.

The shining light is that the Indian restaurant reopened. At least I have delicious nourishment.

Darn Buttons

2010-09-06T22:03:00.005-05:00

There are no buttons to be had in Elko. At least not any that would work for my nearly finished sweaters.

Remember the Holly Jacket?

For all intents and purposes it is finished. You'll notice I haven't taken it out of my current projects list. I finally found some buttons in Boise that look good on the sweater. The problem is the inner buttons. They don't fit in the holes. Part of the problem could be my wonky button band,

and another part could be that I sewed them too tightly against the fabric. I'm not sure that fixing either of those problems would solve the larger problem, so I'm going to sew on some snaps to keep it closed.

My goal this week is to finish the current projects. Along with Holly, I've just about finished Laccaria. I'm working on weaving in the ends (as you can see in the picture). This sweater will probably go the way of Holly, though, and wait months on end for appropriate buttons.

Finally, I'm finishing Playful Stripes. I have buttons for that, which I got in Boise with the buttons for Holly. I need to graft the armholes first. I'm procrastinating on that one. Somehow weaving in a million ends is more attractive than grafting.

I'm itching to make something with cables. I also want to make Goodale, but I don't have the yarn for it. I can't really buy yarn right now, unfortunately. I think I'm going to satisfy the cable craving with either Liffey or Snapdragon Flip-tops. I'm in the mood for mittens more than a hat, but the design of the hat is calling me. Who knows? My craving will probably change before I allow myself to cast on for a new project.

What about my travels, you ask? Brian and I went to Salt Lake City to see She & Him in the park. That was fun. We stayed on to camp and climb with friends--well, I climbed. It hailed on us so we bailed.Brian and I backpacked in to a small lake, which was really nice. We tried camping just outside Salt Lake the next night, but we got to the campgrounds past curfew. It really makes us angry that they lock the gates at 10 pm. They even put those tire spikes on the exit so you can't get in. What about folks like us? What if you already have a site and decided to go out to dinner? Horrible. I'm starting to think that people in Utah like torture, too. We went on a two-mile hike that had a 2,000 foot elevation gain. Ridiculous. It was even difficult coming down! We ate at an incredible restaurant to make up for our pain. We even ordered wine and the most delicious dessert.

Michigan was amazing as usual. The UP is such a special place in the summer, and seeing my friends is worth waiting for all year.

Project Post

2010-08-07T14:36:00.006-05:00

I've finished a couple things since my last post, and have started another. I still have to finish seaming Laccaria. It's hard to do when Brian's around, since I usually seam while watching something like Dr. Who and spreading out the work on the coffee table. Seaming takes up a lot of space! Brian and I watch a lot of silly stuff--we're starting Dark Shadows soon--but I don't feel like I can spread out and zone out for seaming. Stockinette and the like are better for that, which is why I'm knitting the Playful Stripes Cardigan for Renée. That is, if I see her before she's going off to college. I miss those guys and can't figure out a time to visit before Christmas. Sad.

I also finished a cowboy bib for a friend's baby. She is a rancher, so her kids will be cowboys (at least while they are kids). Why not show it off from the get go?

As I mentioned in my last post, I was intrigued by a yarn that I have in my trade or sell stash. I'm still happy to sell it, but I don't dislike it as much as I thought I did. It's Filati Sailor FF, and it has some nice colors. It's like knitting with cotton string, but that was perfect for this market bag. The bag, however, turned out pretty small, and the opening is tight. I think I'll go back to making Everlasting Bagstoppers for market bags, though I'm interested in trying the Monteagle Bag, just for some fun with stitch patterns.

Since this was the most knitterly post I've had in awhile, I just have to mention some travel, right? Brian, Yarny and I went to Salt Lake last week. I had the most torturous hike ever on Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake, but it was great weekend. Friends joined us for food and shopping the day before and that was really fun. The real travel news is that I'm headed to the UP next week. I can't wait.

Hot!

2010-07-16T17:48:00.004-05:00

It's 100 degrees in Elko right now (8% humidity, which is rather high for around here). Can you believe that all I want to do right now is to knit? Maybe because I'm procrastinating about cleaning for upcoming company. Still, I don't even have the swamp cooler on (yet).

Brian and I tried to escape the heat of the last week of June by heading to Big Sur and Northern California.

Apologies to all my friends in San Francisco. We stopped only long enough to take some pictures.

Yarny was our constant companion, keeping careful watch over Brian as he drove along steep, winding, ocean-side Highway 1. I miss the water. And trees. Oh, how I miss trees.

We saw two, count 'em, two Paul Bunyans and Babe the Blue Ox...I'm not sure how to pluralize this. Grammarians, please forgive me. Please keep me in your graces. Anyway, I adore Babe, so this was the highlight of the trip for me.

Besides Big Sur, we didn't have any goals for this trip, so we ended up in the north part of Lassen Volcanic National Park. This was probably my favorite camping spot (rivaled only by the one in Big Sur). We headed to the southern part of the park our second day there, intending to hike to a fumarole and bubbling mud pit, but we were snowed out. On the Fourth of July.

Overall, lots of fun. I didn't knit until we got home. I've got all the pieces finished on Laccaria, but I've gotten distracted by a market bag. A knitter on Ravelry asked to trade some yarn, which I declined because I didn't want the trade. She inspired me, though, to dig out the yarn and give it a try. I get protective over bags of ten balls, so I hesitated over using just one or two for a market bag. Research on Ravelry showed me that anything I would make with this would only take about six balls, so I took the plunge. I'm moving slowly on the bag--the yarn is a thin cotton, so it's not too different from knitting on Laccaria (except the stitches, of course). I think I might pick up a third cotton project for some variety that will turn out to be more of the same. Ah, well. It's summer.

New Year's Resolution Update

2010-06-09T22:49:00.007-05:00

Now that I've been knitting whatever I want, having eliminated deadlines and intentions from my knitting, there has been some positive and negative outcomes to my knitting habits.

The Positives

No deadlines. I don't stress about finishing something in time for birthdays, holidays, and arbitrary deadlines.
Freedom of pattern choice. I can knit what I want just because I want to.
No expectations. This is like no deadlines, but it also applies to sizing, yarn choice and intended recipients.

The Negatives

No deadlines. Even though I still knit all the time, it seems like everything is taking longer to finish.
Freedom of pattern choice. It's hard to narrow down my queue of 286 patterns into something I want to make.
No expectations. I miss the feeling of giving something away that I made with someone special in mind.

I like this new approach to knitting. It's working for me, but I need to allow myself some exceptions.

The Exceptions

No deadlines. I will not set strict deadlines, but I will allow myself to aim to finish something by a certain date.
Freedom of pattern choice. If I need to decide on a size or a yarn because otherwise I won't knit something, I will allow myself to imagine the pattern on someone special.
No expectations. If I know someone will love something I want to make, I will allow myself to make it for that specific person.

All that said, I'm working on Laccaria. I'm using the recommended yarn and the 34" size. If it fits me, I might keep it. If not, I'll give it to someone else. I'm only on the back, so I can't comment on the pattern just yet. The yarn is splitty, though. I took it with me to my recent trip to Colorado and North Dakota, but I seem to have lost one of my size six straight needles. All I could work on was the ribbing. It's moving at a clip now, though. I will never take straight needles on a trip again. Circulars only.

I knit Daybreak because I was waiting for the Pure Pima and needed a quick project. I don't normally knit shawls or scarves, but I enjoyed working on this one. I still haven't blocked it because it's in the "someday someone will need this" basket, which is one of the side effects of my resolution.

I did pick up the shorts I had made for Chris Sand, since I went to North Dakota. I was at a cowboy poetry gathering, where I saw some of my friends from the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. The best part was hanging out with Chris and Hana for part of a day. But I couldn't remedy the shorts situation easily, so I gave Hana Pasha. She'll look adorable in it. They treated me so nicely, and I got to see the good parts of North Dakota.

Since I flew out of Denver, Brian and I decided to explore some of Colorado early in the week. Here's a photo of me with my new friend Esme. I was also lucky enough to get to spend some time with good friends Matt, Emily and Mike and Emily and Mike's Great Dane. Ivy and I were fast friends. It was a great trip.

Renegotiating

2010-05-09T18:29:00.004-05:00

Some days it feels like spring. Some days it's still winter. You know how everyone from any state will say "you don't like the weather here, wait a minute and it will change?" Well, Nevada isn't quite like that, but it is unpredictable from day to day. Last week we had freezing days and warm days. By August it will be sunny, sunny, sunny, but for now we just don't know.

Jacque, Brian (the guy I've been seeing--for those of you who haven't yet heard), and I headed up to City of Rocks, which is across the border in Idaho. We checked the weather before we left and decided to believe the Weather Channel rather than noaa.gov. Wishful thinking. We all slept in Brian's old, giant Suburban, thank goodness. When we woke up in the morning, the truck windows were fogged up, but you could see ice and frost on them. Brian was hoping it was just because it was warm in the truck and cold outside. Nope. An hour later, when we really woke up, there was an inch of snow on the ground. So even though we were supposed to meet a whole group of people for a rock climbing weekend, we didn't want to hang out in the snow all day and so returned home.

We did climb in Lamoille Canyon all weekend, which was nice.

All this iffy weather makes it hard to settle on a project. I ordered yarn for a sweater, but it hasn't come yet. I've been making smaller things in the meanwhile, including the Daybreak I'm working on now.

I've finished two hats: Pasha and a basic hat with flower and a little something special. Pasha was fun, and I didn't have any trouble with the lace. I used Plymouth Yarn Dye For Me Baby Llama Glow that I bought in Portland. The sparkly bits add something to this already great pattern.

I've been wanting to try incorporating some LEDs into my knitting, so I ordered a kit from the Maker Shed. I knit a basic hat from some cotton (so I can wear it, yay!) and then used some of the yarn left over from Pasha to make a flower. The center of the flower is the LED. I wanted the battery to be at the top of the hat, but it was too far for the conductive thread. It's now on the inside of the hat behind the flower. Surprisingly, it doesn't bother my head. I can unsnap the flower, but I can't detach it. The flower is too floppy so I tacked it down. When I snap the flower to the hat, the light comes on. I'm thinking of an emergency-light beanie next. There are so many times when we climb late but have forgotten our headlamps. A beanie with some bright LEDs might be just the trick.

Finished!

2010-04-14T15:16:00.004-05:00

Can you believe I've actually finished a project? Side Impact is complete and looks great!

Besides knitting, I've been enjoying my furlough days traveling or staying home, depending on the weekend. Furloughs definitely make going to work more difficult, though. I want vacation all the time!

Zion was great fun.

We hiked, saw my sister, got a tour of Best Friends, and nearly died in a whiteout through Dixie National Forest. What was I thinking, driving through 10,000 ft in April?

I started a pair of fingerless mitts while driving home, most of the knitting in the dark. I wanted to try smocking the 1x3 rib. I like them, but I need to work on my smocking.

Now I'm working on a Pasha, but I'm contemplating my next sweater. I think sweaters are what I feel like knitting these days. They definitely dominate my knitting fantasies. These top the current list: Laccaria, Audrey in Unst, Whisper Cardigan, or maybe a tank or short-sleeved sweater like Celandine, Camp Hoodie, or Love.

Adventures Abound!

2010-04-01T01:20:00.003-05:00

Life has taken a good turn lately. I've settled into being in Elko for another year, at least, and that's put my mind and heart at rest. No more soul-searching about where I need to be right now. I'm going to be here. Well, except when I'm traveling, which I seem to be doing much more of these past few weeks.

I went down to Lubbock and Alpine, Texas, at the end of February. It was a declaration of my commitment to Cowboy Poetry. I also got to know Alissa and Andy Hedges, Andy Wilkinson, and most of the members of Cowboy Celtic better. I discovered I really enjoy the way Andy Hedges sings, plus we made friends in each other, and I like that most. Visiting another Gathering was pretty interesting. I was on the fringes of the inside, which was a nice place to be. It was so great, in fact, that I'll be visiting the Dakota Cowboy Poetry Gathering over Memorial Day.

Besides that, I went to Sensory Illumination. I got to wear cyberlox. I want some. We did a little bit of climbing in Boise. Then I took an impulsive road trip to Portland with a new friend.

Trees and water. Oh, how I miss you both.

This weekend we're headed to Zion for some camping and hiking. We climbed last weekend, but there really hasn't been enough climbing.

Ah, but has there been any knitting, you ask? Of course! In fact, I've been knitting a lot. I started Side Impact on February 7 and I'm only just rounding the corner on the second sleeve, but it's lace and stockinette. I never promised to move quickly through the lace panels. In fact, I finally memorized the six-row, seventeen-stitch, lace pattern yesterday.

In between I've knit two cozies. The first wasn't for anything specific, just because someone joked about whether that was what I was knitting.

The second is an iPhone cozy, sort of for the same reason. Lesson learned: do not be flippant about knitting or you might end up with cozies.

Red Rocks

2010-02-17T21:44:00.002-06:00

We climbed this past weekend in Red Rocks, outside of Las Vegas. Great fun. I led a 5.7, which is a step up from what I usually lead. Here's me on lead.

I got a few centimeters of Side Impact finished, but Jacque and April drove off with my knitting on Sunday. I could have gotten a lot finished on the drive home, but instead had to content myself with tormenting one of my friends by fiddling with the radio. Oh well.

So far Side Impact is fun. I'm terrible at lace, even in small side panels, so it's slow going. I'm thinking of starting a second sweater in a chunkier yarn for that instant gratification.

Resurgence

2010-02-07T21:58:00.007-06:00

In spite of the very busy month I just had, or maybe because of it, I've been knitting a lot. Unfortunately, I tend to lose things when I'm stressed. So I was sure I had pictures of all the things I've knit since December. Alas, I do not.

I did make some great things, though. And I followed my New Year's Resolution quite well. It's not easy to break the habit of knitting for someone in particular. My thought process goes something like this: "What do I want to make? Maybe I should make that, it will fit so-and-so and they have a birthday coming up. Or maybe I should make this, since I've wanted to make it for a while. But it won't look good on anyone and I want to use wool." Obviously, I'm still considering what others can wear, but I'm also knitting things just for fun.

I just finished Quincy by Jared Flood. That guy is a genius. I used some wool I bought in Idaho this fall and it looks great. I had no recipients in mind when I knit this. It will be given away when the time comes.

Quincy was a much needed quick project after finishing a pair of Faux Bois Mittens. I'm crazy about faux bois right now, so these were great for that. I liked the colorwork and the twisted stitches, but I should remember that I knit stranded work tightly. The mittens are quite snug, even though I was got gauge on my swatch. I'm not crazy about the thumb, either. I think I prefer a gusset. The lack of a gusset makes these pull, which adds to the snugness. The technique also left holes where I picked up stitches (I should have picked up an extra stitch over the hole and then knit the extra stitch in on the next round). The pattern is very clever, though, and I'm happy I made them, even if I have to find someone with tiny hands to give them to. But that's not the point anymore, is it?

Otherwise this month I finished a cowl. This was a clever bit of cheating, since the only knitting I did was binding off. I had started a girl's dress using a Drops pattern five years ago. It dawned on me that the skirt, which was all I'd completed, could be turned into a cowl. It took a couple tries because I'd forgotten that I'd decreased some, so I had to rip out the bind off and a few rows to make it work. It's beautiful. I gave it away before I could take a picture.

I also knit some fingerless gloves out of the leftovers from Sarah's Caliometry. They've already been used to climb outside in January.

In December I decided to catalog and photograph my stash. In doing so, I rediscovered some yarns I had stored away. From that came a quick, garter stitch cowl out of R2 Braid.

Before that I made a Sag Snood/Cowl out of three strands of Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton. It was supposed to be for me, but I don't like how drapey the cotton is. I knew it was a risk, but I really wanted a big, chunky cowl. I might rip it out, I might decide I like it. I love the color at the very least.

My sweater project in December was a Shalom. Fabulous sweater. It took about a week to make. I gifted it to a friend at work. She wanted it a little longer, so I ripped back and added about an inch to the bottom. Top down sweaters are awesome. This was a two-person knit along with my friend Amber, which really helped me decide what to knit then. I'm glad I knit it. I made a few modifications to the sleeve and the yoke by shortening the ribbed sections by one repeat each and continuing the pattern onto the sleeve.

I also knit two hats. I gave both of them to Jen at Christmastime. The first was another Piper. It really is an amazing pattern that creates a beautiful hat.

While visiting Jen, I also made a Robin's Egg Blue Hat out of Ella Rae Latte. Oh, my, what soft and fuzzy yarn. I have some in a couple other colors that should be destined for something to wear around a neck, or maybe even mittens so the recipient could touch it all the time. I don't have a picture of that hat.

I think I ordered some buttons for Holly, but I can't find the receipt, so I'm not sure I really did. I did, however complete all the finishing. Now it just needs buttons.

Now I'm starting a Side Impact Sweater. I've had the pattern since I visited Artfibers in 2006 and the yarn for at least a year. It was a toss up with some other sweaters, but I think it's time I cracked down and made this one. I've liked it for so long and it will be perfect for Spring.

Oh, and the Gathering was great. See my last post for links to the cybercast and other media from the event. I skipped a Super Bowl party tonight so I could stay home and knit. It feels good to spend some time alone after hanging out with hundreds of people for a week straight.

Gathering Time Again

2010-01-29T17:25:00.003-06:00

I'm at the Gathering, so not knitting. Check out these links--they are the next best thing to being in Elko right now.

Western Folklife Center
Cybercast from the 26th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering
Western Folklife Center Blog (I'm occasionally posting here)
Herding Cowboys
Mountain Girl
Lounge Act

Back to work for me.

Fall

2009-12-05T15:32:00.004-06:00

Fall and winter are so busy for me anymore (with planning the largest and oldest cowboy poetry gathering and all), that I no longer have time to plan for the important things, like making flight arrangements for Christmas, or figuring out where I'll be for New Year's Eve. The busy-ness creeps up on me. All of a sudden I'm working late and skipping lunch and I don't know how that happened. I don't mind, though. My job is still interesting enough most of the time to keep me expending the energy it needs.

Knitting doesn't seem to be suffering right now, which is a surprise. I take that back. The amount of knitting I'm doing hasn't slowed down. In fact, I seem to be spending more time with the needles in my hands. What is suffering, are the knits themselves. I spent all that time loving the Holly Jacket, but now that I need to do the finishing touches (which include knitting), I can't get motivated to do it. I thought I was finished with the cozy shorts for Sandman, but I need to rip back and fix a leg.

Those shorts. How can I have the same number of stitches and end up with one leg wider than the other? The problem with the pattern is that it doesn't give stitch counts, so it's harder to keep track. I thought I had calculated everything correctly. I even had a friend try them on. The simple fact of the matter is that one leg is wider than the other. So the shorts have been sitting in my knitting basket, staring at me with contempt when I pick up the needles to make a sure-fire hat.

I was thinking that it was just garments, and that I should stick to accessories. I made two hats (stop what you're doing and make Piper now. It's awesome),

then I made a scarf,

then a Calorimetry.

But I'm risking a garment so I can have a very, very loose knit along with Amber. Amber's been knitting way longer than I have, and we've never had a chance to knit together, really, since we lived together before I learned how to knit. So I like the idea of a two-person knit along. It makes me feel connected to her. So we're both knitting Shalom. I've already made a mistake and had to rip back, but it's a fast knit so it wasn't heart breaking. I don't mind ripping back (except when I think the garment is complete--see above or, worse yet, Patti).

I've also made a New Year's resolution. I am going to avoid knitting for deadlines. These deadlines are always self-imposed and stressful. I am also going to avoid promising knits for anyone. That is also stressful. Instead. I'm going to knit what I want, how I want, and then decide who it's for. If I'm knitting for myself, I'm going to allow myself to take however long it takes. This way, I'll eliminate all the self-imposed stress and can enjoy the entire process. This starts now and is retroactive. Therefore, Sandman may not get his shorts while it's cold (though isn't it always cold in North Dakota?), and Aimee's cousin will never get his rattle. But someone else will get a great sweater in a couple weeks (or days, this thing moves fast!).

One more thing. I'm busy these days. I might not blog for a couple more months. Come to the Gathering if you need a fun festival in the depths of winter. I have an extra bedroom and plenty of floor space. I really recommend it. I know cowboy poetry doesn't sound like it could be as much fun as it really is, but trust me. It's a great time.

Promo

2009-10-03T17:41:00.001-05:00

Check out my friend Lainie's website. She's my most favorite artist, and one of my favorite people. I think she should be famous.

Another "Why I Don't Blog" Post

2009-10-03T17:21:00.005-05:00

I've been teaching a theatre class at a dance studio in town. It started as two classes, but the younger students' class was too small, so it was combined with the older class. Now I have one class and the students range from 6 to 16. It's been interesting. The classes are fun, but it's still hard to gauge what they've learned this month. They know the areas of the stage as much as they know left from right, and last week they caught on pretty quick to vocal expression. There are a couple of kids who are really outgoing and a couple shyer ones. Overall, so far, it's been fun. But (here's the blogging excuse) I seem to have no time for anything anymore. Which really isn't true. I'm just having too much fun hanging out to get the important things done. At least the class forces me to sit down and write a lesson plan each week. This week we're going to talk about beats. I'm having a little trouble planning for this one since there are a few students who can't read much yet (being only in first grade).

In my knitting world I'm all over the place. I started a rattle for Aimee's cousin's new son, but I need a cat toy for the inside and I haven't made it to the store for one yet. So I started the shorts for Sandman. I think those will move pretty quickly, but I don't get much couch time to work on them. I've been watching Firefly with Jacque, and we're going to try some game knitting on the next episode. I think I need something wacky right now. I need to seam the Audrey sweater and do some finishing knitting, but I haven't been interested in that since I picked up the other things. There's also a hat I really want to make for a friend in Chicago, where I'm going in a couple weeks, so I'll have to pick that up soon, too. I can probably knit most of that on the airplane, though, so I'm not too worried.

I don't have any new knitting pictures, so here's a photo from last week's climbing adventure. Picture courtesy of Karl.

Summer Photos

2009-09-05T16:09:00.009-05:00

I have a post in mind (what I've learned about knitting from climbing), but I've had such a busy summer that I thought I'd get the photos out of the way.

First, thank you for all the kind comments. I might have put the sweater in the UFO pile if left to my own devices. I'm still enjoying knitting Holly and made great progress on a recent flight. I have two other somewhat pressing projects to finish, but I can't take my hands off Holly.

Jacque and I hiked the Ruby Mountain Crest Trail a few weeks ago. I had never done a multi-day backpacking trip. I also grew up where it's relatively flat. I think I've acclimated pretty well to the altitude, because that wasn't a problem at all. I could breathe even at 11,000 ft. Jacque helped that by keeping our pace slow. I have a tendency to walk fast and then get out of breath. The trip was amazing. It was hard in some places, and simply fun in others. These pictures are chronological.

A gazillion-mile switchback at the end of the night. Just before Overland Lake (below)*

The Crest (we saw this same view after climbing that peak, and then again five more times)

Liberty Lake

The Parking Lot!

Then a group of people drove up to the City of Rocks to celebrate my birthday (and Jason's but he had to stay home on doctor's orders. Boo). I had no idea my friends in Elko were so amazing. I knew they all wanted to climb--that was really the point of the trip--but they also surprised me with an awesome gift, which I opened after cake.

Presents!

Last weekend I visited Jen and family. I just needed to see their faces. It was soul-soothing.

Now it's September and I'll be around for awhile. Maybe I'll actually get some knitting done this month.

*edited to add photo. My apologies for multiple versions of this post.

Conundrum

2009-08-14T02:13:00.003-05:00

I had a high school teacher who would always say "Questions? Comments? Conundrums?" before moving on from the current topic.

I have a conundrum. I am working on the Holly Jacket. It's a fun knit so far. But I have been looking at the picture of the sweater, and at some completed Hollys on Ravelry and the Knitting Daily Galleries, and I'm not sure it's going to look good on me. I don't need more emphasis on my hips--trust me. And I'm knitting it in a color that doesn't look good on many people--yellowgreen--so I can't gift it. So what do I do? Knit it for the fun of it? That's a lot of time going into something that won't be worn. Frog it? But I'm enjoying the knitting, and I'm to the armholes on the back. I've even been staying up late-ish to work on it, which hasn't happened in so long and feels so sleepily good. Stop where I'm at and use the rest of the yarn (Ella Rae Shibu [very nice to knit with, but a little splitty]) for something else? I don't know! I don't have anything else I am desperate to knit, and the socks I'm working on are feeling too wooly for the weather. Silk is perfect.

In other news, Jacque and I are hiking the Ruby Crest Trail this weekend. Three days for 43 miles, and we're sharing a tent with her gaseous dog. I can't wait.

Reasons and Excuses

2009-08-01T22:29:00.004-05:00

It has been over a month since I've blogged. It's been quite the busy month. I've been traveling a lot. We had a major deadline at work that I've had to fit in around plane rides and furlough days (that's right, I'm on furlough). I've been extremely stressed, and it's shown in my work and in my knitting. In fact, there's not much knitting to show. I worked on a sock and I knit a chalk bag for myself. I just sewed in the liner, so no photos of that yet. I haven't finished anything in months, it seems. Yet I'm itching to start a sweater or something else that is big and time consuming. Here are some photos of my trips.

On a walk back to the hotel from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Cherry Lake in the UP of Michigan

City of Rocks, Idaho

Fieldwork in Florida

Pucker

2009-06-13T21:26:00.005-05:00

Pucker is done. Remember a long time ago when I was knitting with size-two needles and thought I was knitting on sixes? Well, this time I thought I was knitting on size six, but it was actually a two. So Pucker's neck is a little tight. Besides that, I think the top is lovely. My pictures are bad because I took them myself, but you get the general idea.

There's been some climbing, but not much to report on. I haven't gone in two weeks. I have made new friends, though, which is nice. I also had to buy a new computer, this right after splurging (actually, I'd saved for them) on a washer and dryer. But now I can do everything I want. Except transfer my files from my old computer because the new Mac has only one firewire port and it's not the same as the cord I have.

I'm working on the umbrella and I've started the socks. I might also start a hat for a friend who is leaving soon. I'll report on the chalk bag when I get some action shots. It looks great and I think it will work. I may have to make more--handknit chalk bags for all my friends!

Anxiety Sets In

2009-05-30T23:59:00.003-05:00

I realized that I haven't posted about my trip to Korea. Well, it's going to wait a while longer, because I'm exhausted. I just wanted to get another post in before May was through.

My trip to Korea is one of the things weighing on my mind right now, though. I promised a pair of socks to Aimee's weaving teacher. I bought some Koigu and some needles from a very tidy shop in Seoul, but I haven't even taken the needles out of the package. Aimee leaves Korea in July, so I want to have them finished in time to send them before she's back stateside. I am also working on a gift that would be perfect for Aimee in Seoul, but probably not as useful in upstate New York. One of these days.

Trouble is, I don't want to work on those projects. I've picked up the umbrella here and there--now I'm a hair over half done--but the socks I barely even think about. Until it starts stressing me out anyway. I suppose I should power through Pucker so I can focus! I must sound like a broken record these days.

Instead of knitting I've been climbing. Here I am finishing off a heel hook on a 5.10 TR in Red Rock on Memorial Day. I didn't fall at all! Sandstone is awesome. I think learning to climb on slabby, flaky granite makes other rocks seem, dare I say it, easier.

I also had a visit from my sister and dog-niece. I miss Porter a lot. She's such a good dog. I spend all my dog time around puppies these days, so it was nice to have a mature, well-behaved dog around.

Hidden Treasures

2009-05-11T17:08:00.005-05:00

A couple months ago I moved into an apartment. A lot of my things had been in storage for more than a year, and I'm still discovering treasures collected over many moves. I have packed and unpacked 18 times in my life.

Whenever anyone visited my grandmother, Babci, we were sure to leave with an armful of clothes, at least, or bags full of things we just couldn't refuse, try as we might. It was hard to say no to Babci, who was thrifty and earnest. Sometimes she found just the right thing to make my day--I have a great green-and-purple houndstooth dresscoat that came with a handmade (by my aunt) dress to match. Babci hemmed the dress a little too short for me to wear regularly, but it makes its appearance as a go-go dress, the only costume I can pull off. Other times, I'd come away with a stained sweater that I reluctantly took but never wore. Before my grandmother moved in with my aunt, she insisted I take a tablecloth that I had no use for, and no means to transport. She saved it for me, with a post-it note, taped to the black plastic bag, that read "for Tammie" in her shaky hand. I can't remember what year it was, but I threw the bag in my rental car, returned to Chicago, and put the bag in the basement.

A month ago I opened the bag to put away the tablecloth only to find that Babci had snuck in a couple other items. There were a few folds of fabric with interesting patterns and the cream of the crop, a crocheted afghan. I closed up the bag to deal with it later.

This weekend, I opened up the bag to find a beautiful, full-sized afghan in a bright and fun pattern. I'm sure it's acrylic and Babci may or may not have made it. But it's such a treasure. I can picture Babci cooking or slicing strawberries, but I can't remember seeing my grandmother doing any kind of hand work, though we always had crocheted slippers to wear, and her embroidery is recognizable because she never split the strands. Once she showed me a rag rug she was making; that was the only time there was a direct indication that she made beautiful things from fiber. I did learn some sewing from Babci, mostly mending, and she once helped me make a pink satin pillowcase for my Papa (my grandfather on my mom's side). I knew my aunt was crafty--she must have learned it from someone, probably Babci, her mother. My aunt tried to teach me many of the skills she has in abundance; most notably, my aunt gave me my first knitting lesson, when I was about nine.

There's a needle-arts lineage in my family that I'm proud to share. I'm a knitter, through and through, but lately I've been having dreams of expanding my knowledge of all things fabric and fiber. I'd like to learn to sew and to embroider, mostly to embellish my knitting. I'd also like to make a rag rug in honor of my Babci.

For now, though, I'll keep knitting. I'm halfway through Pucker; I have to sew in a lining and add a drawstring to the chalk bag; I've got more than half of a gift to finish; and I promised socks to Aimee's weaving teacher. I've got to finish those before Aimee leaves Korea. So the other fiber arts are going to remain on the wish list for now. Each thing I knit, though, is infused with the spirit of my grandmother, and the memories of learning from my aunt. Makes me love to knit even more.

The Adventure Continues

2009-04-21T23:39:00.004-05:00

I've decided to stop trying to make Elko home. Without trees or water this landscape could never comfort me. However, I am going to continue to live here happily, for now. I'm going to think of this time period as a time for continuous adventure and simply enjoy myself.

I got a knitting-themed tattoo. A few people have asked if it's rope. That makes me sad. I think I'm going to have to do a little touch up on it, because I realized that the fold in the top isn't quite right. Otherwise, I love it.

I am going to Korea on Friday to visit Aimee, who is there on a Fulbright. I've been knitting furiously on a gift, until I reached this point:

I have to make eight panels and I'm not even finished with four. No way is this getting done. So it's going to rest while I'm overseas and I'll finish it as a thank you present when I return.

The most depressing thing to happen lately was discovering that I didn't knit the two fronts of Patti to the same length. It will be a relatively easy fix, but it's so heartbreaking that I'm going to leave it for a while, maybe until fall, and then fix it. Jen won't be able to wear it until then anyway.

Now that I'm not furiously knitting for Aimee, I have two projects with no deadlines to keep me occupied on my trip. I'm improvising a chalk bag for a friend, and I've started Pucker. I haven't done much, but I like the slinky nature of the Seduce. This should be fun.

Momentum

2009-04-04T00:23:00.010-05:00

I've been thinking about knitting a lot. I've been thinking about blogging a lot. Though it doesn't seem like I'm doing much of either lately, I'm trying to catch up. Unfortunately, I broke my camera, so I don't have any new knitting to show.

In fact, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. My life in Elko is extremely different than it was in Chicago or anywhere else for that matter. My life in Elko most closely resembles my life in college. Here's a list of what I do with my free time in Elko:

Rock climb
Ultimate Frisbee
Dance class (modern and Zumba)
Hang out with friends at their homes or mine

Yes, I'm cheating a little. It was a really hard climb.

What I did in Chicago:

Walked around town
Knit
Shopped
Watched TV
Ate out with friends or alone

I'm not in the picture, but I did do this while visiting Chicago last week. Those poofs are really fun to plop down on!

So you see, there isn't as much time to knit, and there's nowhere to shop (nowhere like the Threadless Kids! as shown in the above picture, that's for sure). I was sick for two days, so I got some knitting done. Patti is almost finished. I need to seam and knit the button band. I majorly screwed up the placement of the held stitches so I'll have to do some extra-special magic to hide the mistake (there's no way I'm ripping both fronts). I also made progress on some gift knitting.

Which brings me to another change. Lately, the only knitting I've been attracted to is knitting for myself. I can't seem to finish the projects I'm working on, or get to the ones that I have planned, but all I want to make is Pucker or the Side Impact Sweater. My gift-knitting queue isn't that long--just the two projects on the needles, a chalk bag, and a pair of shorts (on request from Sandman, who needs knitted shorts to live in North Dakota--I'm thinking alpaca or cashmere for warmth and next-to-the-skin softness). I should just go ahead and start Pucker. I've already swatched. I bought the yarn while I was in Chicago just last week.

Ah, Chicago. I spent all the money in my checking account on shoes. I bought three pairs and had seven pairs repaired (including two I bought). It was totally worth it. I also bought an amazing jacket and a lot of yarn. I missed Nina herself, but did get time with Sam and Mary Rose, which was nice. Okay, once again I'm straying from the point, which is this: I've lived in Elko for 18 months but I don't feel at home here. I love everything I do here, and my friends are incredible people. I like my apartment and the mountains. I like my job and the people I work with. When I was in Chicago I felt like I was home, even though I was sleeping on a couch and awakened by shark noises (from a four-year-old) and stroller wheels (the two-year-old). I felt like me. Here in Elko I feel like I'm on adventure, with a bit of work thrown in. Maybe it's more like a working holiday. So how do I settle? Do I settle?

Do I continue to knit for others or knit for myself?

I Love this Hat!

2009-02-20T19:01:00.004-06:00

This is Jacque.
I taught her to knit in January. She's made four hats. Hats are the way to go for a beginner, I think. She's accomplished so much in such a short time. She's going to make a vest of her own design next. Her latest hat is ribbed the entire way up, so Jacque had to figure out how to decrease in pattern, rather than using the standard spiral decrease I taught her. She's been knitting on straights and has had some trouble with her hats having nipples at the top, so I hope the ribbing and the different decrease pattern will solve her nipple problem.

In spite of this weirdness, every hat Jacque makes is a joy for her. She exclaims "I love this hat" while knitting them. She realized she said it for every hat and asked if I felt the same way about what I knit.

It's got me to thinking. I don't love everything I'm working on. Lately I feel like I've put down or frogged everything I attempt. I'm supposed to be working on a dog sweater for Jacque's dog (also in the pic), especially since it took much convincing of her husband that a dog sweater is still macho. But the yarn I picked is too bulky for the wording I want to incorporate. I thought I'd just make a prototype, then, since I wasn't using a pattern, but I haven't touched the sweater for weeks. I am working on other things, of course, but I don't love anything right now.

The closest I'm getting is on Patti. It feels good to make progress. I'm sure I won't finish until the sun is warming Michigan, but Jen will still appreciate it, I think (hope).

So I how do I get the love back? I still need to knit. I still want the feel of the yarn growing on the needles. I just don't love anything I'm working on. Nothing is bringing that joy.

Here's some Misti Hand Paint Sock Yarn I wound for Tympany. Tympany is fun. I'm almost onto the earflaps. I'm not going to have enough yarn, since I'm using some leftover yarn from a pair of socks, so I'll have to get creative.

Quickie

2009-02-08T00:51:00.006-06:00

Holidays. Gathering.

The Gathering was fantastic. Please check out the cybercasts on our website to see what amazing shows you missed. I had the time of my life this year.

It's been busy. Christina took all the chairs, so typing at my desk is difficult. Here's a photo summary of the things I've been doing when not at the holiday festivities or the Gathering. There were other projects, too. I'm just missing some photos.

Postcard. Aimee, did you ever get this?

Legwarmers.

Hat.

Bike Helmut Earmuffs.

Climbing on January 18th. I needed this right before the Gathering.

High Five

2008-12-21T13:56:00.006-06:00

I've had this post in my head for a while now, but since I released myself from the guilt of not posting regularly, I haven't taken the time to write it.

The Rubies. View from Dead Snag, December 7, 2008

I have never given so many high-fives in my life as I have lately. It all started at Ultimate Frisbee. Score? High Five! Make a good play? High Five! Pass a friend on the field? High Five! The hand-slapping moved to the crag, too. Lead a route? High Five! Successful climb on top rope? High Five! Good try at climbing anything? High Five! Belay? High Five! Then it moved home. Playing Cranium and get an answer right? High Five! Tell a good story? High Five! Goofing off at the bar? High Five!

It's nice to have supportive friends, friends who encourage you in all your pursuits. I love rock climbing partly because I love the encouragement along the way and the excitement everyone feels when someone accomplishes their route, or just gives something a try.

Knitting is like a high-five sometimes. Finish a hat? High Five! There's no one giving me a high five at one in the morning after I weave in that last end, of course, but the feeling is there. I feel accomplished, satisfied and excited.

I haven't finished all my Christmas gifts. In fact, one that I started way back in September hasn't been touched since then. The intricate, detailed pattern got confusing and I ran out of time to deal with it. My plan is to finish everything (except Patti) on the plane rides to and from Detroit. Here's what I've finished so far.

Gryla's Howl, now finished.

Exception

2008-11-20T22:50:00.001-06:00

I'm still not blogging, but I was so impressed with this post that I want everyone to read it and the accompanying comments.

I'm Done

2008-11-05T21:08:00.005-06:00

I'm not done with blogging, but I am going to take a break from the pressure of it. Things are too full, too heavy in my heart and head right now to worry about anything else. I will blog when I feel like I have something to say, and the time to write about it.

Since I wrote last a lot has happened. A friend died. You can learn more about it at Perry's blog. Perry is writing so elegantly and eloquently about it all, in spite of his closeness to James and James's death, that I will leave it to the words he's already used. A couple days after that I had to go off to a conference, which was fun and educational, but overcast with the thought that I couldn't be with my Elko friends, mourning and supporting. The day I left Kentucky and the conference, I got a call telling me my grandma, my Nana, had died (my other grandma, Babci, died in September). I flew all the way to Salt Lake City just to turn around and fly to Detroit (I traveled a total of 20 hours that day). I was very close with my Nana, so this was especially hard to take. There was all sorts of family stuff to deal with while home, too, which only added to my worry and sadness. The day after I returned from Detroit, I drove with friends to Salt Lake City to attend James's memorial. It was beautiful and heartbreaking.

Nana and Me. Isn't she beautiful?

While I was gone, I was neglecting a major deadline at work and now I'm behind much more than I'd lilke.

So I'm taking a break from blogging. I've been knitting, but nothing's done and nothing's new, so this seems like a good time to take a break. Please continue to email me. I need a push now and then to keep in touch.

And I declare this: I'm done with Death. That's it. I'm done.

August 22, 2008. Nana and Papa were finally wed in the Catholic Church, after 50 years of marriage.

Sheep and Knitting

2008-10-15T23:32:00.005-05:00

Last week I was in Ketchum, Idaho, for the Trailing of the Sheep. There was lots of wool and plenty snow.

Most of the progress on this mitten was made in the car to and from Ketchum and while at the festival.

I also worked on this sock during the festival.

I bought some great yarn at the Puffy Mondaes booth. I wish they were closer. I have to take pictures of the yarn yet, so I'll post them later. In the meanwhile, here are the sheep. They were supposed to go straight down Main Street, but those photographers you see in my video weren't staying to the sidewalks, so the sheep took the first opening they saw and headed down the side street instead. (Isn't there some sort of professional courtesy about not getting into another photographer's shot? You should see my other video--it's mostly this one guy's head as he's "ducking" to stay out of my way.)

Sheep in Idaho

2008-10-07T21:27:00.004-05:00

Sheep Camp at Trailing of the Sheep

Early tomorrow, too early for me (though I'm trying not to complain since all my friends are geologists and such who have to catch a bus at 4:30 am to travel an hour or more to work a full day), I'm leaving for Idaho. The Western Folklife Center is participating in the Trailing of the Sheep festival. I've created an interactive component to the exhibition that we bring to the historical museum in Ketchum. People are asked to weigh themselves and then compare it to the weight of a wool bag. They can also get inside the wool bag to get an idea of how much room 20 fleece take up. And they can write a poem about sheep. We're all about the poetry at the WFC. On Friday I'll be leading a knitting circle and conducting interviews, two of the things I do best. I'm hoping knitters and other fiber artists will come and knit and chat. I'll simply ask leading questions and record the whole thing, and knit, of course. Here's more information about what we're doing. If you're in Ketchum or Hailey, please stop by and say hello.

I've got three projects going and I don't know which to take. I'm not very into this sock, but I think the Druid Mittens are too complicated for travel. The other project is also too complicated. Both of those have something going on on each row. I've already messed up the Druid Mittens by incorrectly anticipating the chart. I'll fix some of it, but the rest will just have to be a mistake. Gotta have one, right?

I'm hoping to buy some handspun yarn while at the festival. I didn't last year because I didn't have the money and felt overwhelmed by it all. I did pick up a skein of something in Ketchum, and will probably do the same this year. It's good to support the stores in places I visit, I think.

Picture!

2008-10-03T02:52:00.004-05:00

Made for Perry for his birthday.

This yarn, Polarknit, is a bit strange to work with. It's a synthetic, of course, so it has that weird feel (though not sticky like acrylic). Its construction is like a piece of fleece was cut into a very long strip. It was staticky, which I haven't experienced in a yarn before. The end result is fabulous, though, so it was worth it for a hat. It's going to be one warm, hip hat, for sure.

Climbing, Not Knitting

2008-09-29T00:33:00.008-05:00

Today was a day of many climbing firsts.

1) I red-pointed a 5.6 lead on slab (red-point means I got to the top without falling, slab means the rock was mostly smooth and at an angle). I think I like slab. I like using the downward pressure with my arms, rather than having to raise myself to my hands.
2) I climbed my first multi-pitch (which means that one person climbs to a ledge, then another person climbs, and so on, then you climb to another ledge, and so on) on mixed gear and bolts, also on slab and with no walk-off. I did two pitches and more than half of the third. It was the end of the day and I was the last to climb it, so when I got to a harder point I decided to just come down so we could move on. I wanted to get on that pitch, but it didn't matter to me that I reach the top. We were very high, which was exciting. I think that's the highest I've been. Does that count as another first?
3) I tied in to the middle of the rope.
4) I learned a mountaineer's coil (because I had to carry the end of the rope with me on the last climb--my first time carrying anything extra on a climb).
5) I learned to flake and to coil the rope.
6) I used a prusik on the long rappel down (tied a little differently).
7) I expelled some gas in front of the four guys I was climbing with. I was definitely the girl of the group today, but I think I held my own, even in the bodily-function department (though much less than they did).

I did a tiny bit of knitting while waiting for my turn, but it's hard when there's chalk on my hands. It's very drying stuff. I did a little sewing today, too. I was belaying Jason when I realized there was a hole in my pants. In the spot just below my chalk bag, and which would have been very noticeable while climbing. So I grabbed my knitting bag and the little sewing kit I carry with it and sewed up my pants. The guys were surprised I had needle and thread with me, but I was very glad I'd decided to bring my knitting bag up to the climbing area.

There may be a picture of me climbing, but I forgot to take my camera. I wish I had because the aspens are all turning yellow and were just beautiful as the sun moved through the canyon. We went down to the creek after climbing, since it had been a warm day and we needed to cool off. I was walking on the rocks and found a poor little rainbow trout caught in some fishing line wrapped around some sticks. Jason walked back with me to help the poor thing, but the hook was deep in the trout's throat. Jason broke the line, so I hope the fish went someplace nice to die. I'm mad at the person fishing, though. It's so irresponsible to do that--not just to leave the fish but to leave line tangled up like that. This is National Forest and should be treated with respect. Grr.

Next post will probably be about knitting, including a picture of a gift I'm giving. My last few posts have been without pictures. It's time for something pretty and knitted.

Progress!

2008-09-24T01:04:00.005-05:00

I've wanted progress bars forever. Thanks to Ravelry and a very informative forum, I followed some directions and made them work! I even changed the color to match my color scheme. Hurrah. Then I had to go into my Ravelry projects page to change the title of the gift so its recipient won't know what it is (until she checks Ravelry. Oh well).

TV

2008-09-24T00:09:00.003-05:00

This post sums up my relationship to television watching, minus clutching a radio to my chest as a child. Instead, my sister and I would sneak in snippets of St. Elsewhere and other such over-our-childish-heads dramas by opening the bedroom door a crack and quietly peeking out. Good thing nothing funny is on after ten o'clock. That's how I saw the first half of Poltergeist, which still terrifies me.

Sometimes I still feel like my TV watching is illicit. My roommate doesn't watch TV (until she gets sucked into whatever I'm watching) so there isn't one that gets reception in the house. I don't like to have a TV in my room because of the bad chi, but here I watch TV programs on my computer, which is in my bedroom. In some ways, I feel like I'm more discerning if I can't flip. But I'm not usually a flipper. Sure, I don't watch reruns of Bewitched anymore, but I also don't see new episodes of things I like (telling you what those are makes my admission too real, so don't ask). Thank goodness the networks replay some things. Thank goodness for Netflix.

When I had a TV in front of a couch, I would watch and knit for a few hours a night. I got a lot of knitting done. Now, I sit on my bed, perpendicular to the computer. Somehow, I don't seem to get as much knitting done. It just isn't as comfortable, for knitting or watching. I miss my couch and I miss getting so much knitting done. I even miss the TV*.

I have been knitting (and watching some things--will the new season start already?), but everything is for a gift. I'll show one thing soon (check my Ravelry projects to see what I just finished and what I'm working on), but the other is a Christmas present. I think I'm going to start the Druid Mittens out of some Shibui sock yarn in orange. I haven't swatched yet, so don't hold me to it.

*Disclaimer: I wouldn't trade my busy days for TV watching. I like this new, social, active life I'm living.

My Awesome Job

2008-09-18T20:48:00.004-05:00

Sometimes my job is incredible. Incredible because I'm seeing and doing things I never imagined I'd even want to do.

The Western Folklife Center and the Elko Convention and Visitor's Authority has brought in a group of journalists to learn about the Elko area and, especially, the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. I didn't have to do any of the planning or organizing (thankfully), but I did get to meet the folks and share in some of the exciting things they are learning about.

Yesterday I headed to the 71 after work for dinner (which was ribs, so I only had dessert) and a concert by the campfire. Jay Dalton picked his way through quite a few songs as people took pictures and sang along.

Today, I headed back out to the 71 for lunch (Mexican, so I had a version of the served dish). After lunch we listened to a talk about changes in grazing cattle, and then we headed down to a barn to watch a horse be castrated. Fascinating. The vet threw the, um, removed part over the horse's head because "otherwise he looks back and won't be a good horse." In other words, they want the horse to see what's been removed so he doesn't think he can still, well, enjoy the ladies. Don't worry, the horse was knocked out before knife hit skin. His tongue was sticking out, which was awfully undignified and cute. After that we watched some cattle get roped and "doctored," which meant getting treated for an infection in their hooves.

Tomorrow I get to have dinner (which I also can't eat--this is the problem with being a vegetarian in cattle country) with Baxter Black, then go watch him perform. What a job.

Five Days Later

2008-09-15T01:17:00.008-05:00

It's late, but I hate to break a promise. Here are some pictures from Burning Man.

The Man is behind this art piece, which was part of a larger piece.

Inside the Temple, which they burn on Sunday night. It was three stories tall, if I remember right. People add to it in memory of loved ones and hardships.

I think the helmet adds to the bug-like look. Another picture I have of this pose shows an art car with a giant green, um, thing on top. I thought I'd save that picture for another, less public time.

The woman working at this installation invited us inside McLightenment when the dust picked up. She was great. I got some Hope for a friend from her. My camera was having some trouble with the dust.

Here's a hat I knit this weekend (it's resting on my new comforter cover). I finished it tonight while watching The Outlaw Josey Wales after a rousing game of Frisbee and hanging out with new(er) friends over quesadillas. This weekend was quite good. I went to the car show and parade, hung out with a friend, made soft pretzels, and got around to some things I'd put off for awhile, like laundry and cleaning my room.

This Everlasting Bagstopper has been waiting for yarn forever. I finally got some yarn, finished knitting the bag, and then let it sit, waiting for straps. Now it's done. I haven't tried it yet, but I know Dan uses his, so I'm really looking forward to it. Or I might save it for a Christmas present. We'll see.

I know it's not much, but I did it: I found time to blog.

Completely Subjectless

2008-09-09T21:31:00.002-05:00

It's been a rough and busy time lately. I'll post pictures from Burning Man soon. I don't have any knitting to show, though. Not really. Maybe I'll whip up something tonight just to have something to show for my absence. Thanks for hanging in there. More soon, I promise.

UP!

2008-08-16T14:45:00.004-05:00

It's so hard to get back into the swing of things after spending almost a week in a place as beautiful as this:

But I'm back, and back at it. I woke up at 4:30 am EST last Tuesday to catch my early flight out of Traverse City. My plane was delayed in Detroit, so I didn't get into Salt Lake City until around 1:30 pm MST. I forgot to grab my bag getting off the parking lot shuttle, so I had to wait for the bus to come back around. I didn't get out of the parking lot until almost 2:30. Then I drove back to Elko, arriving at 5:00 pm PST. I dropped off my stuff and went right to Frisbee. I just didn't want to be at home yet, even after such a long travel day. In fact, I didn't get into bed until after 10:30 pm PST (or 1:30 am EST). Then on Wednesday I worked then went climbing and rappelling (my first time!). I stayed out late that night, too. I was surprised to feel so jet-lagged on Thursday.

I've been busy, but it's been fun to be back, even though I'd rather still be in the woods. A bunch of us went to the Indian restaurant last night to celebrate some August birthdays. They had belly dancing, which turned into Bhangra dancing. Everyone was dancing: the belly dancers, the waiters, the owner, a few kids, and some of us. Afterwards a couple of us got a quick lesson from the owner's son. I was quite tired leaving the restaurant. That's the best thing about Elko, in my opinion. It's possible to be surprised with something extraordinarily fun at any time.

So, knitting. I haven't knit much since getting back, but I finished the Endpaper Mitts while in Northwoods. They are really small because my gauge was waaaaaay off. I gave them to one of the caretakers who also plays the viola. I love the viola and she said she'd use them when practicing. Since they didn't have an intended recipient, she was the perfect giftee.

I liked knitting these. You can see that I screwed up a couple times. I'd start to get confident that I knew the pattern without checking the chart and then I'd mess up. I didn't notice this huge mistake until it was really too late to go back without much irritation. I also had trouble with the purl stitch. It was always really loose and I couldn't seem to tighten it up, especially on the thumb. I have a ton of of yarn left. I think I might just add them back into the Panda Silk stash for something with lots of color.

I'm working on the second sock for my sister. I'll see her next year at my grandparents' wedding. They have been married for fifty years, but have always wanted to get married in the church. The priest they have been working with told them they can finally get married because after fifty years it's obvious that their marriage is blessed. I can't wait. I hope my brother will be able to get leave from the Army for this, because we should all really be there. I'll also get a chance to see Jen and family, so that's a huge bonus.

I may not have anything to blog about for another couple weeks because of the wedding and other travel coming up (I'm going to Burning Man, too). I'm thinking of entering the February Sweater in the fair, so cross your fingers.

Still Deciding

2008-08-02T16:01:00.006-05:00

I just sat down to work on the Endpaper Mitts pattern with the skinny dyed cotton. I wound the yarn, looked at the pattern, did some math, and I'm just not sure about it. I think I'm on the wrong track. I don't think the 100% cotton is going to work with colorwork like this. I think it's more suited for stripes. I might buy more (someday) and make the skinny cardigan or something similar. Or I may hold onto the yarn forever.

I might still make the Endpaper Mitts, though. Twistedhausfrau told me that there's real yarn available in Elko. I mean yarn made with fibers I want to work with, from brands that I trust and love. So I checked it out and sure enough, I no longer have to pine for the tactile pick-me-up that yarn shopping affords. Of course, I couldn't leave without buying something. I needed some tapestry needles, but that's not enough. I bought five balls of Panda Silk. Maybe I'll match a couple colors for the Endpaper Mitts. Or maybe I'll get crazy and do something with all five colors. I am interested in trying out some more fair isle, so maybe a more complicated pattern is in my future. The possibilities. I don't know if I can handle it.

These socks will be for my sister. I tried using this yarn for socks before, but the pattern didn't like me. This pattern came to me while in the car on the way to Boise this week. It's a simple twisted rib pattern. Four hours of knitting is inspirational, I guess. Maybe it was all the mormon crickets we were smooshing with the car. I'll spare you the picture I'd promised earlier. I still can't get over how huge they are. Horror film huge.

I Need Advice

2008-07-27T14:10:00.005-05:00

I want to make some fingerless gloves or full-blown mittens out of the skinny cotton I bought. I think a fun, two-color, stranded pattern is what I want, but I can't find any. Neither of my two stitch guides has any colorwork, so I can't make it up. After browsing Ravelry, I'm really in the mood to do some colorwork in a mitten, too, but I want to focus on this cotton.

I know cotton for mittens isn't ideal, but these will either be for me or a friend who can't wear wool either. That's why I was thinking fingerless gloves instead. Maybe mittens knit in wool and lined with cotton would work, too. But, again, I want to focus on the skinny cotton. I only have one skein of each color, and a hat isn't inspiring me right now.

Other than the itch to start a million new projects (I'm dreaming of socks, too, and I've got a sweater's worth of yarn waiting to be knit), I'm plodding along on BYOB. If I finish it today I'll post a picture. In the meantime, here's a photo of a columbine from last weekend's camping trip.

7/27--Completed BYOB (added picture 7/28)

Butterfly in Lamoille Canyon (added 7/28)

Inching Along

2008-07-21T21:19:00.005-05:00

Chicago was great. It felt like being home. I got my fill of yummy Handlebar food (and then I dreamed about vegan biscuits and gravy last night, so maybe I didn't get my fill after all). I saw 13 friends. My friend Wyatt said, after telling him that I had to leave: "But, I'll miss you," and he looked at me with his three-year-old eyes. My heart broke. I would have stayed there forever.

I also reconnected with friend I had neglected. Now I owe her an email, but I'll get to it, I promise. I did miss one friend that I really wanted to see. Add another email to that list.

I didn't do much knitting. I finished the February Sweater. The person it's for reads this, but I'm going to post it anyway. This sweater was just as frustrating and just as fun as the first time I knit it.

While I was in Chicago, I stopped at Nina. I was craving a trip to the LYS as much as vegan biscuits and gravy. I needed help deciding, since I was overwhelmed by all the beautiful things. I had to ask Sam a few times for some help on color. Everything I bought was in a blue-green shade, except for the Silky Merino that just happened to match the Misti Alpaca yarn I bought.

Blue Sky Alpacas Skinny Cotton. I've wanted to try this for a while. I'm thinking colorwork mittens.

Malabrigo Lace. It was too luscious to pass up. It's going in the stash to wait for the right project.

Misti Alpaca Sock Yarn. These will have to be made into socks. But for whom?

Malabrigo Silky Merino. I love a Merino Silk blend.

So I've been catching up. I've been having a lot of fun at Frisbee. I think I'm starting to feel more confident in the game. I went camping this weekend, which was great fun. I went with two different sets of friends, so the weekend was doubly interesting. I took along BYOB and the Everlasting Bagstopper. The Bagstopper has been sitting for some time, waiting for yarn. I bought some at Nina, but when I went to knit with it this weekend, I realized I'd bought the linen, not the hemp I needed. I don't mind having more linen in my stash, but I would like to finish this bag already. At least it's living up to its name.

Euroflax Linen, purchased at Nina, sitting with the hemp bag.

Besides Chicago, the best thing to come out of the last couple weeks was teaching Perry how to knit. Let me clarify a little. His mom had taught him how to knit, but I taught him how to cast on and how to purl (though he only purled one row). Next, he's going to start a hat. Teaching knitting makes me so happy. Maybe even happier than knitting itself. Now I've got to get Perry to teach me to rappel, like he's promised.

Nevada Weekend

2008-07-10T22:46:00.005-05:00

I don't have any knitting progress to show. My only knitting news is that I'm headed to Chicago tomorrow, so I'm going to get a lot of knitting done; buy a lot of yarn (I'm sure); and hang with my knitting friends.

Last weekend was a constant reminder that I'm not in Kansas (or anywhere in the Midwest) anymore. I went to a dinner party where we mostly talked about rocks--both mining rocks (gold) and climbing rocks. I went to a ranch where I fed a leppy (warning: opens in QuickTime. Watch it. It's short. And good) and played with barn cats. I went to the quietest parade ever (while parades are not unique to the West, Elko seems to have a parade every month). Then I finished the weekend at the Basque festival, where I watched Basque dancers and the weightlifting competitions. I also went to the picnic, but I didn't eat anything because the Basque only eat meat.

The most frightening thing I saw this weekend was the road to the ranch covered in Mormon Crickets (don't follow this link if you don't like big, ugly bugs). I'll post a picture soon, but let me just say this. Eeew. At first I thought they were frogs. They are almost as big as frogs, and they jump. I stayed in the car.

There's Always a First Time

2008-07-02T22:47:00.005-05:00

My Middle Name is Patience tagged me for a meme. It's my first ever, and it's very exciting. I like the topic very much, though it's so hard to limit my answers to one per question.

Your favorite word? Super. With delicious tied for second.
Your least favorite word? Hate (I'm trying to eliminate it from my vocabulary). There's another word that I dislike more, but it's not really a word and I refuse to write it down. Say it only if you want me to squirm.
The word that is the most fun to say? Fantastic. I enjoy words so much this was hard to answer.
What word should be banned because of overuse? Should (I'm working on eliminating that one, too).

Answering this reminds me. If I ever repeat what you say, it's not that I'm mimicking you, it's because I'm rolling the word around in my mouth. Today we played La Loteria at the Folklife Center. It's a game much like bingo, but you don't match letters and numbers. Instead it's pictures, and you have to figure out what the image is by answering a riddle. Because most of us were rusty on Spanish (or don't speak it, like me), the caller only said the names of the images. It was fun to hear everyone in the room repeat the words. Spanish words are fun to say, especially Loteria! when you win. I didn't win.

This being my first meme, I'm not sure who to tag. I don't want to leave anyone feeling like they wish I'd ask, but I don't want to force it on anyone. If Aimee, Perry, Lynn or anyone wants to join MMNIP and me in celebrating language, please do this meme. Email me if you want an actual invitation.

Here's the Second Sock. I had to use additional sock yarn, from the leftovers pile, to finish. I like the effect of striping the self-striping yarns. Thank goodness my friend Bill doesn't care if his socks match. These definitely will not.

The First Sock.

Summertime

2008-06-28T19:19:00.007-05:00

I finished the Something Red sweater on June 15, but it's taken me this long to find a good button for it. This was an easy, fun, fast knit. Very satisfying. I didn't see that wonky bit in the raglan part until I posted this picture. Darn. I'm not ripping back now.

Last weekend I went camping with friends at Diamond Fork in the Uinta National Forest, in Utah. There are some hot springs there, which we visited. It was a fun, and much needed, weekend away.

Then, to brag a little about how great my job is, I stayed in Salt Lake City for a meeting with colleagues about the programs we do. Basically, we got together to talk. Just talk. That's about all we did. We talked about where things are going, how we're feeling about things now, and ideas for the future. On Monday we're having a staff retreat, where everyone on staff is going to talk about these same things (and more). I do like it here.

It's good to say that, because the week before was the worst. Things are on the upswing, though. A new program that I developed, Play Your Hand, is really fun. I think when the word gets out there will be a good turn out. We had a few folks to learn poker and blackjack, and I think they had fun. Next week is La Loteria, and families are encouraged to come to all future game nights (kids couldn't come to this past one because those are licensed games in Nevada and minors can't be in the same room, even though we weren't gambling--or so the gaming board told me). So if you're in Elko on Wednesday, please come play some games at the Folklife Center.

I'm working on a February Sweater and the partner to a sock I made a while ago. I'll write more about those someday.

Weak

2008-06-12T20:58:00.003-05:00

I was planning on posting last Sunday, but my fingers were so tired I couldn't type (or knit). I had tried to climb a 5.9--way out of my beginner's skill level. My thumbs could barely move after gripping so long on the rock. The person on the belay (is that the right phrasing?) was the only reason I was holding onto the rock at all.

I was feeling quite impressed with my progress on Something Red until this week. Time seems to be getting away from me. I put in a twelve-hour day yesterday and the only reason I left at a reasonable hour today is because the majority of what I had left to do was to make phone calls. I didn't want to call folks in the mountain time zone during dinner. That's a good reason, right? So I was all the way to the sleeves on June 6th, then I had one sleeve by the 7th, then the other took until Tuesday. I picked up stitches for the button band yesterday, so I'm still cruising on this. I liked the idea of having a complete sweater in less than two weeks. I've got workshops in Lamoille Canyon on Saturday, a barbeque tonight and a possible concert (in a venue two hours away) tomorrow, so I guess I'll have to settle for just over two weeks to finish.

Vegas!

2008-06-02T20:06:00.006-05:00

Here's what two seven-hour drives to Las Vegas will get you:

One finished pair of Fulbright Socks (I hope Aimee really is computer-free while she's at a residency in Maine because these were my secret project). I named them that because Aimee is leaving in a few weeks to spend a year in Korea. I'm saving my nickels so I can visit.

And the beginning of Something Red. This may be for me. I was going to make Flair, and bought a kit from kpixie a while ago, but now I'm looking for something with more shape. I need a brown cardigan, too. Living in Elko has made me gain a little weight (yes, it is Elko's fault), and lately I've picked sweaters that don't look the best on me (this only happens when I knit for myself. I can purchase a perfectly flattering sweater). Maybe Something Red will get more wear than other sweaters. If not, I'll pass it on to someone who will look good in it. I'm using the yarn from the kit, Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton, which I used on a sweater that did look good on me, except for the wonky button holes.

Right now, Something Red is my only project. We'll see how long it lasts. There's a sweater I want to make for a friend that's winking at me from the queue. I have the yarn, even.

I'm blocking Dollar and a Half now (that picture is before blocking). I hope to get some buttons soon. Maybe a finished sweater will entice my sister to visit. Of course, she lives in the desert (the desert desert, not the high desert like Elko), so she might not care about a sweater right now.

By the way, I was only in Vegas for about sixteen hours. I drove down on Saturday and returned yesterday. It was for work, but I did get to hang with Wylie and the Wild West and Paul Zarzyski.

More Distraction

2008-05-28T21:37:00.005-05:00

I was going to post last week, but we had a crazy wind storm that knocked out the internet. I wanted to show pictures of the rock I climbed the weekend before. Don't worry, I started small. Then I challenged myself (peer pressure, really) to climb a 5.8. I needed help starting, and then again when I got stuck and had to switch my feet. I'm still bruised up, but it felt good to climb it.

Then I dashed off to Seattle for the Northwest Folklife Festival, which was loads of fun (in spite of some bad incidents). The best part was meeting up with an old friend from Ohio who I haven't seen in ten years. I didn't have much time to see him, but the reunion definitely made the weekend.

I got back yesterday. I did very little knitting, of course. Just a bit on a secret project while on the plane. I'm hoping to finish seaming the Dollar and a Half so I can work on the button band and be done with it. I'm itching to start a new project, but I've got to finish at least one of these before I do.

The Adventures Continue

2008-05-17T00:14:00.004-05:00

I've been spending a lot of time outdoors. I've been camping and hiking, and I'm learning the surprisingly fun game of Ultimate Frisbee. I have scratches and bruises and very sore shoulders. Tomorrow I'm doing more camping and trying rock climbing again.

I have been knitting, but it's definitely taken a back seat to the outdoors. It's so nice lately. I do get a little bit of knitting in each night. I made a cowl from the Curious Creek Fibers Isalo. I wanted it to be something special, but it turns out that for all the money I spent, it's just another silk yarn. To top it off, there were a lot of spots that didn't take the dye. I like the cowl, though, and it was a good way to avoid seaming the Dollar and a Half cardigan. I'm one side seam and one sleeve insert and side seam away from the button band. My sleeves don't fit into the arm hole, but I just forced the first one in anyway. I don't think it's going to be too bumpy in the end.

And that's it. I've got a sock project as a travel project (it's going camping with me tomorrow). I might need to start something new next week.

The exciting news is that I may have a chance to meet up with a friend I haven't seen in ten years. He lives in Seattle, where I'll be next week for the Northwest Folklife Festival. I can't wait to see him.

The Sweetest Smell

2008-05-05T21:22:00.006-05:00

You know how in the springtime you catch a whiff of the most amazing scent, usually lilac, that just stops you in your tracks? This happened to me last week, but not much is blooming yet, so I was startled by the smell. It wasn't lilac, it wasn't a smell I've smelled. It was sagebrush. I was out walking and smelling and smiling at the smell. Incredible. All of Elko smelled so sweet that day. There have been moments, when the wind is right, since then, but that day smelled sweeter than any I've experienced.

The last couple weekends have been full of adventure. I went rock climbing for the first time yesterday. I enjoyed it very much. I was surprised that I wasn't scared. Rock climbing is more of a puzzle than a thrill, at least at the level I was climbing. I hope to get the chance to do more soon.

Knitting-wise I haven't done much. I made a slouchy hat from the Noro Matsuri I got in Seattle. I like it. I'll try wearing it, but the 13% wool might make my head itch. Since it's a slouchy hat and won't touch my skin directly, I might not notice the wool. It's a great hat, if I do say so myself.

I've made some progress on the Dollar and a Half sweater. I'm wishing I'd blocked my swatch. I'm worried that the arms are going to be too long. I think I might steam block them to get an indication of how much they'll grow. If the sweater is too big for my sister, I might just have to keep it. It's cute.

I'm also working on a secret project that should be finished and mailed in the next couple weeks. Here are some pictures of other secret projects that have finally made it to their recipients.

Distraction

2008-04-26T17:58:00.008-05:00

To distract from the fact that there has been very little knitting this week, I present photos of the yarn I bought in Washington.

Arcadia by Cascade (though it doesn't say so on the label) from Diva Yarn

4 Balls of Venezia by Cascade from Diva Yarn

Isalo by Curious Creek Fibers from The Twisted Ewe (a fancier store than Diva Yarn, in spite of what the store names would suggest). This was nothing short of a splurge.

Matsuri from Weaving Works. I've never used Noro because it's so scratchy. This is mostly cotton, so I will finally have a chance to enjoy Noro's famous color changes. I also bought some Silky Wool, but I used it for a project I'll blog about later.

Jitterbug by Colinette from Weaving Works

Soxie by The Great Adirondack Yarn Company from LaDonna's Fiber Arts.

Tapestry by Rowan from Weaving Works.

Things that Prevent Blogging

2008-04-20T19:53:00.010-05:00

Sorry for the hiatus. First I was in Ohio for a wedding and a new-baby visit. It was good to be back in Ohio for a few days. My dry skin immediately plumped up. From Ohio I flew to Boise, caught a ride with my roommate, and drove through this

to get here, which is Fort Worden in Port Townsend, Washington,

for some playtime before the AWSF meeting. There was plenty of this

and this.

We took a trip to Whidbey Island where we had a birthday party and a tour of Ebey's Landing.

Then we took this

to return to this
and this.

We took a side-trip here.

The meeting was interesting. We learned about cultural mapping, archiving digital technology, and local foods. Then we took a tour to a creamery and then an organic farm where we saw this, right above our heads.

Finally, I came home to this.

Rest assured, there was a lot of knitting. Trouble is, it's all secret. We also stopped at three yarn stores. I spent blindly. My roommate is bringing everything home in her car, because I had too much to fly with. I'll take pictures of my treasures later this week. Some of it is truly luscious.

Hurray!

2008-03-29T14:44:00.006-05:00

I had a rather frustrating day at work on Friday. Luckily, I came home to my Rowan grab bag from Webs. It's perfect. I didn't give much direction, yet I got yarn that is perfect for me.

Holiday

It's different than anything I'd buy for myself, but I checked out some patterns made with it and it looks like it knits up nicely.

Appeasing Guilt

2008-03-23T13:59:00.003-05:00

In an attempt to stop feeling guilty about knitting so much, I've been knitting all week. I watched all the Firefly episodes (I heart Joss Whedon) in two days. During this time, I've been working on the Dollar and a Half Cardigan. It's such a fun knit. I even ripped out the front more times than I care to count, just to get the decreases right. It's still one of the fastest sweaters I've knit. The directions for the fronts are reversed, which I didn't learn until after the right side was done as printed. The jury is still out on the yarn, Soft Linen. It has a lot of dangling linen strands and is easily snagged. Plus, it's linen and acrylic but the label says to hand wash. I doubt my sister is going to hand wash this, so I have a feeling the sweater will wear out pretty quickly.

Here's the next problem with spending all my time knitting: I can't get enough! I knit past my bedtime almost every night. That's not the whole problem, though. I started a simple, orange hat for a friend. I'd like to finish it so I can send it off. But I just want to work on the cardigan. I also want to make Sophie for a new baby that I'll see in April. It won't take long--Elijah only took a couple of hours a night for a week--but I'm nervous I won't finish. And I've barely touched the Seamless Hybrid. There are so many patterns I want to make, on top of all this. Four projects on the needle is plenty, really.

So now I feel less guilty, but more anxious.

Productivity

2008-03-16T19:35:00.006-05:00

This week I have knit one elephant, one washcloth,
one scarf,
and three inches of sleeve. Why is it then, that I feel like a big slacker? Yesterday alone I knit a washcloth and most of the scarf, but I feel guilty because I didn't do much else. But wait. I did do other things. I baked some cookies. I did a load of laundry. I washed the dishes. I ate. I showered.

I'll tell you what it is. I feel guilty about watching TV (this guilt is something I'm exploring). Since I knit while watching TV, I feel guilty about knitting. I start to think that I use knitting as an excuse to watch TV. It's a shame really, because what I want to do is knit. I like the mindlessness of watching TV while I knit. I shouldn't feel guilty, but I do.

At least this week I feel like I accomplished something.

The washcloth is for a housewarming gift. I didn't make it to the party because I was feeling icky. I don't normally like to make scarves, but I lost a great scarf that Aimee brought me from Japan. I've taken to wearing a scarf most of the time. It keeps my neck warm in this changeable weather. This scarf took about four hours to make. I did fewer repeats than called for since I used a heavier yarn. It's about 70 inches long. I've had this Habu bamboo in my stash since Nina's opening, which is what made me yarn and knitting obsessed (I'd never really had the chance to knit with such beautiful yarns until Nina moved in on my walk home from work, and then all I wanted to do was to touch and own such luscious fibers). I haven't found the right project until now. I have another 88 grams left.

On another note. I just went to a baby shower, where I delivered the elephant I made. This is a great and easy pattern for those who can knit in the round and pick up stitches. The mother-to-be received a few hand-made gifts. Now, I've already done my rant on giving acrylic to babies, but everything that she got that was crocheted was made from acrylic. Take note that there's no yarn store in Elko, so most people to go that place-that-shall-not-be-named for their crafting needs (yes, even in this time of the internet). But still. I wish more people would think about it. I know the mother-to-be doesn't, and I spotted a couple blankets in other baby seats that were crocheted from acrylic. Maybe it's an urban/rural thing? I myself have been taken in by a soft synthetic, fuzzy baby blanket. But let me point out one more time that there are yarns more suitable to baby gifts. Try a superwash wool. Or cotton. Or bamboo, which they say has antibacterial properties. I myself aimed for luxury (since it is a gift) and went with a cashmere silk blend. Okay, so she can't throw it in the wash, but it's not going to melt to the child, either. Count that as rant number two.

Different Worlds

2008-03-12T15:38:00.002-05:00

When I was in Chicago an excuse for being late was because the buses or trains were running late.

Today I got a call from my assistant who said she'd been chasing cows all morning.

Alaska or Bust

2008-03-08T14:57:00.005-06:00

I'm in Alaska!

Bust!

We made it to Alaska only to find out that Ice Alaska gave exclusive filming rights to a reality TV production company. Not only did it suck that we were 1) out a lot of money, 2) in Alaska in February, and 3)not able to finish our documentary, but that they lied to us a lot. It certainly made the first few days pretty miserable. Luckily, we were there with great people and staying in a great house. In the end, I had a great trip. Mostly because I taught two people how to knit. The second lesson was short, so I don't know how much was retained, but I think the bug bit.

Trans-Alaska Pipeline

I also knit a whole pair of socks while there, since my time was freed up. I gave them to my roommate for her birthday, and forgot to take a picture. She liked them so much she wore them that night and the next day. I will photograph them after she washes them. I liked working with the Vesper Sock Yarn. It surprised me that the white of the yarn peeked through quite a lot, but I liked the heathered look it gave. The colors were really fun and bright.

I'm working on the Seamless Hybrid. The Eco Wool has crazy yardage. This section measures fifteen inches high by forty-eight inches around and it only took one skein. I have two more inches on the body before I start the sleeves.

I have a finished object, too, but I will wait to show it until the recipient receives it.

Earthquakes

2008-02-21T22:37:00.003-06:00

There were earthquakes here today. The first one was around 6:15 this morning and was a 6.0. Its center was about 60 miles from Elko. There were small ones all day, and a 4.2 at 4:00.

Knitting hasn't been so exciting. I finished the something for someone. I just need to weave in ends and add a ribbon. I also finished the Bas Relief hat. It was a fun pattern. It doesn't have a recipient, so it's going in my spare gift pile (newly formed with this hat).

I'm working on the Seamless Hybrid for my brother. His favorite sweater has a 48" chest. This may take a while. I meant to seam up the hem as I knit, but I got caught up in whatever I was watching while working on it and forgot to do it. Whoops. Now I'll have to seam 48 inches worth of hem. That was the reason I did a turned hem in the first place.

I'm going to Alaska on Saturday to work on a documentary about friends who are working on a mechanical ice sculpture in the Ice Alaska competition. I didn't make it to the competition last year, so I'm really excited to go. I don't think I'll be taking the body of Stef's sweater. I got some Vesper Sock Yarn in Sweet Water the other day (I couldn't resist--I've wanted some for so long).

It's really colorful. I ordered a kitchen scale so I can split the skein, but it hasn't come yet. If it doesn't come tomorrow, I might take other sock yarn. I bought some Happy Feet (so soft) and some Panda Wool while in Boise last weekend. I also have some Shibui waiting in the stash. Looks like socks are it.

Treasures

2008-02-12T23:32:00.004-06:00

It's my first blog award ever, given to me by someone I cherish. Jen and I have been friends since middle school cheerleading and her children are like a niece (my Godchild) and nephew to me. I started this blog two years ago because I wanted to comment on her blog. I can't really give the award back to her, so check out her blog to understand why I love her so much.

Instead, I'm going to pass this along to Aimee at It's My Party, because her blog is so very much an example of Aimee. Even though we're a country apart now, I can hear her stresses and the way she processes her thoughts and the world through her blog. Not to mention the fact that she is an incredible artist.

Spring?

2008-02-11T20:47:00.000-06:00

So who do I believe? Punxsutawney Phil or the robins hopping around the yard?

The Gathering is over. I think it went well. We had bad weather, but that made everyone seem friendlier. I guess they figured they were stuck in a good place. Here are a few photos. Remember that you can check out some of the shows on the Western Folklife Center website.

Adrian. Her voice gives me chills.

Oscar and Dylan, waiting their turn at the microphone.

Boots. Mine are the pretty reddish ones.

Kut, a group from Kyrgyzstan

Obviously, I didn't get much knitting done these last couple weeks. I had started a pair of Firestarter socks, but I ended up frustrated with the pattern and a little unhappy with my gauge. I ripped it. I am working on a something for someone. It should be finished soon--it's a little something. I want to start a sweater, so I ordered a lot of yarn I can't afford. I added to my stash of Eco Wool.

The yardage! Makes me swoon. I also think I can use this wool without too much trouble, even though I generally stay away from Peruvian Highland Wool. This doesn't feel as scratchy. In fact, I was hardly itchy during swatching. I think I'm going to make a sweater for Stef out of it. He's been asking for a sweater for some time now, and I'd like to make the EZ Seamless Hybrid. want to make a sweater for Dan, too, but I want to use Skye Tweed. I've only got eight balls. I don't think that will be enough. It's not even enough for a sweater for my sister, who wears extra small things. Speaking of, I ordered yarn to make the Dollar and a Half cardigan for her. I'm definitely itching to make a sweater.

On top of all that, I ordered some Misti Alpaca chunky to finish the Bas Relief hat I started way back before Christmas. I needed another skein of something to get the discount at Webs.

Caucus

2008-01-19T15:30:00.000-06:00

I thought I couldn't caucus today because I had problems registering to vote way back in November when I had the time. Turns out I could register today. It's quite an interesting process. Everyone stands in the corner of the candidate they are caucusing for. If there isn't a "viable majority" in a corner, those people can be wooed by the other candidates' corners. It's a very communal process. I'm glad I got to participate.

I also finished the Anastasia socks. They were fun. I have to mail them off to the friend they are for. With the Gathering on the horizon, I'm not sure she'll get them for a while.

I used Chasing Rainbows Dyeworks sport weight yarn in Kona. It was nice. Boy, that sport weight sure makes socks move fast. I liked it much. It didn't pool, but it did stripe in a nice way. It works well with the eyelet pattern of the sock.

Now that I'm on Ravelry, I have more chances to find interesting patters. I've started the Swiss Cheese Scarf. I'm using Louet Gems in a fine/sport weight, instead of the laceweight called for. I hope it isn't too drapey. I'm not sure who this will be for, but I wanted something interesting and simple for my next project. I don't think I'll be able to spend much mental energy on anything but Cowboy Poetry for the next couple weeks.

*Updated (2 hours later): I decided not to make the Swiss Cheese Scarf right now. I want to use that yarn for something else, I think. I also have a couple baby things I want to make. So, I'm starting a hat out of some stash Pima Tencel in green and brown.

Ravelry

2008-01-13T00:49:00.001-06:00

I just found out that Ravelry sent my invitation way back in October. I've been too preoccupied to check. I guess my spam filter worked this time. It's too late to play now, but I'm so relieved to be able to look at the references that everyone else makes to their Ravelry lists. Oh, find me at "everywhereknit."

Unfinished

2008-01-12T21:16:00.000-06:00

I have three unfinished projects. The bottom two (Everlasting Bagstopper and Bas Relief hat) in the picture are unfinished because I ran out of yarn and don't have the funds to buy more (anyone want to buy a wonderful condo in Chicago?). The other (Drops dress) I needed to put down after ripping back about five inches. I was worried about running out of yarn on this, too, but perhaps I have gained some yardage in correcting my mistake.

So I'm working on socks. I finished this sock (Anastasia, from Pepperknit. I'm having trouble linking to it) the other night and have started on the second, but I'm itchy to work on something else, too. I have more socks I want to make, but what I really want is something fast and stash-busting. Nothing is jumping out.

I haven't had much time for knitting--the Gathering is in 14 days. I've been working long hours. Luckily, somehow, I've also been able to get out and enjoy the snow. I love the snow. My roommate and I made a snow lady. (I made the hat and a friend's aunt made the scarf).

Today we went cross-country skiing (my second time ever), and we're going again tomorrow. I've joined the group doing the Vagina Monologues on Valentine's Day, and knitting on Thursdays has started up again. I've learned this about Elko: people get out and do things. I think it's to compensate for having so little good entertainment provided. Everyone has to make her own fun. It has been fun. As busy as I am, I'm grateful to be able to enjoy the snow and to make new friends, even at the expense of knitting time.

Gifts

2007-12-16T18:37:00.000-06:00

I've been knitting some gifts. Part of the problem of living in Elko is that there's nowhere to shop. There is a nice kitchen store and a lot of places to buy cowboy hats, but I'm not spending that kind of money on anyone. I wasn't going to give gifts this year, since my ticket home costs about as much as a week's work, before taxes. I have to give to a few people, though. I'm way behind for Jen and family. Not that I must get gifts, but because I love knitting for them. My siblings get things, too. And that's it. I'd make something for Dan, but I'm simply out of time. He can get a knitted present in January, for helping with the Gathering. So here's the latest.

The Rib and Cable Scarf from One Skein. I was surprised how quickly this took. Usually, scarves bore me to tears. I was getting close at the end, but I like how it turned out so I guess it was worth it (speaking of scarves, I just got Knitting New Scarves and I love it. It might make me a scarf knitter yet).

Mittens using stash yarn and a basic pattern. You can see that I ran out of grey near the end. The different color thumbs were on purpose because there's a right and a left mitten, but not the black on the top of the hand. I hope they fit. I estimated the measurements and the person they are for has bigger hands than I.

By the way, I finished We Call Them Pirates. It was a bit small but stretched with blocking. I am not giving it to the person I made it for. It would have been too small and too itchy for her. I did give it away to someone I know here in Elko who looked fabulous in it. I forgot to take pictures, though.

Not Happy

2007-12-11T22:20:00.000-06:00

I am not happy with my blogging habits of late. What should I do? Take a break? I don't want to do that because I like sharing what I've done, and I really like the contact with the few others I've "met" through blogging. Do I just stop feeling guilty that I can't get a post together every couple days? Do I force myself to blog even if there's nothing to say (like today)?

I did finish We Call Them Pirates. It looked too small but it blocked much larger (whew). I still have to tack down the lining and then I'll take pictures. I've started the Rib and Cable scarf from One Skein. I had to put the bag on hold because I ran out of yarn. I was using leftovers from other things, and I have more of the AllHemp 6, but it's in red and the other two colors were a light grey and a blue. I just don't think the recipient wants a patriotic bag. I don't think I'd like knitting it, either. I'm not one for using those colors together for anything.

That's it. I'm contemplating starting some socks for my sister, or maybe some for Dan. I have some nice sock yarn to work and it's been awhile since I've made a pair. I need a fun pattern, though. I've been making basic socks but now I feel I need to spice up my sock making. All the yarn I have is variegated. That makes it tough to choose the right pattern. Why are all the great yarns multicolored but all the great patterns in a solid-color yarn?

Worn Out

2007-12-03T20:34:00.000-06:00

Moving to a completely new place is hard. Starting a new job is hard. I have to learn something new every day. Not just something, but lots of things. Lots of important things. If I'm not learning something new then I'm figuring something out. I'm beat. I'm looking forward to the holidays and hanging with family and friends just for the familiarity of it all.

I'm still super busy. I've been working on We Call Them Pirates and another Everlasting Bagstopper. Both are for gifts, so I don't want to tell too much. I've finished one round of skulls on the hat and have only just started the bag.

I can't believe I haven't posted in so long! I miss it. I didn't realize it had been so long. Well, I finished the mittens and made a hat to go with them. I didn't take pictures, but my cousin says they are great. I ran out of yarn for the Bas Relief hat, since I was using the leftovers from the mittens. I might finish it with the multicolor just so I can have it finished.

My roommate and a few people have started meeting on Thursdays to knit. I haven't yet emailed the people who I met more than a month ago. I can't go to the group they've started because I don't have a car so I can't get there. If I don't get around to emailing them and they read this, I hope they will come to the Duncan Little Creek on Thursdays after work hours.

I stocked up on yarn while in San Rafael (sorry, Carrie, that I didn't let you know. I'll be back in the area for New Year's). Of note are some Pagewood Farm sock yarn died especially for Marin Fiber Arts in Bird of Paradise (mostly greens) and some Chasing Rainbows Dyeworks Kona Superwash in Brooks Browns. I'm not usually a scarf knitter, but I think this is destined for a cozy scarf. I also bought some yarn on sale: GGH Savanna in a sagey green; GGH Davos in white, brown, and blue; and Lana Grossa Royal Tweed in a tweed green. For some reason I only bought one of those. I'm sure I had a reason, but it's a pretty soft tweed so I'm wishing I'd bought more. I haven't taken pictures (yes, that busy, new job excuse again--I'm going to use this until after the Gathering, you know) of the yarn, but I'm sure I'll knit with the hand-dyed stuff very soon.

Since I have no knitting pictures, I'm going to leave you with images from my weekend moving cattle. That's right. I was on horseback (for the first time in very many years). On a real, working ranch, moving cattle from one grazing area to another. It was a blast. You can click the pictures to make them bigger.

That's me on the horse.

My new pal.

Sunday morning I fed some bulls off the back of the truck. That was pretty fun, too. I'm amazed at how shy the cows and bulls are. This was my first ranch experience and I hope the ranchers need help again because it was a great adventure.

Pucker Up

2007-11-18T14:07:00.000-06:00

I'm not enjoying posting just once a week. It's more enjoyable to blog every few days, even just twice a week. If I'm too busy to post during the week, I feel obligated then on the weekend, and that's just not as fun. Of course, I don't have time to knit, either, so there hasn't been anything to blog about.

That said, I've got two projects to post. First, a quick hat I made. Actually, it wasn't that quick. Friday night I stayed up until two o'clock trying to finish. I was having fun, but the need for sleep won out. I finished and blocked it yesterday. It usually takes me a few days to get around to blocking, which is why I haven't posted the second project, the baby blanket, until now.

The hat is Koolhaas from the Interweave Holiday issue. On all but the first and last time I knit the eighth row of the repeat, I did it incorrectly. It all worked fine, but I was confused at the end. Once I read the pattern it made sense. It's a little long because of that, but that means the brim can be rolled up. I used Brown Sheep Top of the Lamb from the stash. It's much softer after blocking.

I finished the baby blanket. I used the pi formula Elizabeth Zimmerman outlines. I didn't use eyelets but a kf&b because I didn't want holes. Once finished, the blanket puckered in the middle. The pucker and color made it look like that part of the mother's body the baby will gain nourishment from when she's first born. I guess that means it will be comforting to her? Or just taste fuzzy. Luckily, after blocking and stretching a little, it seems to be flat.
I was worried that I'd have to unpick the cast on to tighten the middle. Now I just have to find the post office to mail this off (yes, this means I still haven't mailed the Fair Isle hat, either).

On the needles now is a pair of mittens for my cousin. She asked for them, which I greatly appreciate. It's nice to knit something I know someone wants. I'm using Misti Alpaca Chunky for that. I bought two skeins and a multicolor hand paint skein for a hat, but it looks like the mittens will only take one skein. I might whip up a scarf with the multicolor and extra solid instead of a hat, or in addition to a hat if I have enough.

I'm headed to California for Thanksgiving. It will be one of very few Thanksgivings I haven't spent with family, but it will be nice to spend it with Dan. He said he would make a special batch of stuffing for me. I love stuffing. And pumpkin pie, which Dan doesn't like. I'm thinking I might insist on making a pumpkin pie so that my Thanksgiving will be perfect (my Aunt Chris's recipe is the best, ever. I can't imagine a Thanksgiving dinner without it). I'm nervous that I'll have to drive through snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains. I hear they close down I-80 if it snows. Cross your fingers that it doesn't snow between now and next week.

I took down the Elko Sky blog. If I can't keep up this blog, you bet I can't take and post pictures every day. The sky is still incredible, though. Come visit and see for yourself.

Fair

2007-11-11T13:25:00.001-06:00

First, I want to publicly apologize to my friends and family for neglecting to email or call. I've been busy. But not with knitting. That seems to be slow going.

I'm busy working. I know there's a level of anonymity to keep when blogging, and it's taboo to talk about work. I like my work, though. This is the first time I get to work with other folklorists. I'm doing fun and good work. If you want to know more about what I do, please visit this site, and check out this cybercast and these links for examples of the events I'm planning. Please listen to the podcast, too. I don't work on that, but the podcasts are a good and interesting example of the work I do.

Last week I finished the Bea Ellis hat. It's great, albeit just a little tight. I got into a good rhythm with the stranding. So much so that I repeated one round, but I figured that the friend this is for has a lot of hair, and could use a little extra height. I think I'm going to make We Call Them Pirates as my next Fair Isle-style project. Here's the requisite inside shot of Ufserud.

I'm currently struggling with Blue Sky's Brushed Alpaca. It's pretty and soft, but fuzzy. I'm knitting it in the round in garter stitch, so I have to purl every other row. Not fun. Give me a smooth yarn any day. I'll probably finish this project in a couple days, if I can find the time, that is.

Adjusting

2007-10-25T21:38:00.001-05:00

In order to keep track of one of the few things that I immediately liked about Elko, I have started a photo blog called Elko Sky. I'm going to try to take a photo each day around sunset for a month, excusing myself for days when I just can't get outside for one reason or another (like last night, when I was in a meeting). We'll see how it goes. If I can stick with it for a month, I'll keep it going.

On Monday I went to a knitting group. There were two people, but it was an attempt at being proactive. I need to force myself to get out and meet people. I had to go at lunch, so I didn't stay long. It was nice to have a place to go knit in the middle of the day.

Over the weekend I made some slippers for myself. I used some left over 1824 Cotton from other slippers I made. This pattern was fast. It took about three hours to complete one, sewing on the button and all. Were I to make this again, I'd increase less before the ribbing. The slippers are just a little too big. They are comfy, though.

I am working on the baby blanket still, and I ordered the Flair kit from Kpixie. I'm headed to North Carolina on Sunday. My brother returns from Iraq next week, so I'm excited to be there greet him. All my projects are big, though, so I might have to start a hat or some socks. I'll see what's in the stash. I'll take too much, no matter what.

Elko Sky

2007-10-20T13:49:00.000-05:00

Today is rough. I don't know what to do. I'm bored. This is the major drawback of a small town. There aren't even any movies I want to see. There was a craft get together, but it started at ten and I was still in my jammies. I was going to go for a walk, but it's hailing (afternoon update: now it's snowing), so that's out. I like my job, but the jury is still out on Elko itself. I guess I could do things around the house, but it's not my house, so I don't quite know what to do (my roommate is in Québec City at a conference I decided to skip because I didn't want to take time off my second week of work). I will say this for Elko: it has beautiful skies, especially at sunset. Here are few pictures from last night.

I'm thinking of starting a photo blog called Elko Sky. Every night I've been stunned by the sky. I don't have the skills for a photo blog, really, and I doubt I'd keep it up, especially daily, but I feel the need to share this sky. I guess since there aren't any trees to block the view, the sky is more notable.

Knitting? I'm still loving the Suri Merino. It is the softest yarn I've used. Here's the hat I made for Dan, still unblocked (I guess I can do that today), which is why the brim is rolling.

Trailing of the Sheep

2007-10-18T00:10:00.000-05:00

I finished a hat for Dan. I am so busy, though, I haven't blocked or photographed it yet. I was too busy last week, working at the Trailing of the Sheep Festival in Idaho. There was plenty of yarn around, but I didn't take advantage of any of the hand spun. Mostly, I was helping to interview people at the festival. Our interview station was in the blue sheep camp.

It was a really lovely time. The bummer (which is a term for an orphaned lamb, by the way) is that I used my camera to record on video the actual trailing of the sheep and then proceeded to immediately delete it.

Work is extra busy. At least, I hope it's extra busy. I don't know if I can be busier than this.

I'm working on a baby blanket from Blue Sky's Suri Merino. Wow. It is super soft. I think the recipient won't care that she'll have to hand wash it once she feels how soft it is. I love it. I'm already scheming excuses to make other things from it. I'm hoping I don't use all the skeins I have so I can make something else with it. I'm not sure what I'd make from a baby-pink yarn, but I'll find a way just so I can touch this some more.

Warming Up

2007-10-09T20:59:00.000-05:00

So far, work has been good. I've only been there two days, and today was full of meetings. I feel like I have enough knowledge now to really start working. The weather has improved, too. Today we saw a high of seventy--and a low of thirty. I think these vast temperature differences are normal for the desert, but it's going to take some getting used to. I wore leg warmers this morning but walked home this evening in short sleeves and with bare legs.

I finished some mittens. I started them in Chicago and finally got around to finishing them this weekend. I made a mistake in the same spot on both mittens, so they are a bit tight. I'm hoping that they will loosen up, since they are a cotton/silk blend. I designed the slip stitch (mosaic) pattern myself, with a little math correction from a friend. Three times thirteen is thirty-nine, I've learned. I like the effect of the slip stitch, but I find the yarn strains a little over two rows. It's even worse over one row, like in my mistake, but I'm not sure why.

I'm not sure what to make next. I have a couple things in mind for Dan, but I don't have the yarn for it. Really. I have some nice Top of the Lamb, but only in one color (graphite). I don't want to make a solid color hat. Especially since he wants earflaps. It will be too helmet-like. I might use that yarn for some slippers, though. I have to research some men's slippers in a worsted-weight yarn. I guess I could work on Usferud. I did promise it to a friend in Chicago. I should get that done before it gets cold there.

Tomorrow I'm going to the Trailing of the Sheep Festival. For work. I think I might love this job.

Not Ready to Post

2007-10-06T15:33:00.000-05:00

In fact, I'm not ready for anything. I start work, managing the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering for the Western Folklife Center, on Monday. I loved the event last year, and I'm really excited to be a part of it. But. After four months of very little work, I'm not sure I'm ready for full time. Quitting my job was the best thing I've ever done for myself. Will I be able to adjust to working again? I know WFC is not crazy or extremely dysfunctional and passive aggressive like the last, and I like the people I know and the ones I met last year. I am so very excited to work with other folklorists, doing work that I think is important. But. Do I know how to work in a healthy environment? It's been a while.

I'm also not ready for Elko. It's 40 degrees today, and it snowed yesterday. It's in the upper 80s in Chicago. I was definitely sick of the Chicago humidity, but I am not ready for snow and the dryness of the desert. This is small town, too. Not just small town, but small town in the desert, which means no other towns for miles. Elko is "town" for a lot of the smaller populations in Northern Nevada. This is new. Am I ready for this, either? I feel so unprepared.

I haven't done any knitting. I have one mitten complete and another started. I'm trying to unpack and infiltrate my stuff into my friend's house (she's been so gracious about me living with her). Perhaps I'll get back to knitting soon. My friend doesn't watch TV, so my knitting time is going to have to adjust to that. The knitting might be slow going for a while.

Oh, I did get a fabulous gift from Nina and one of her employees before I left Chicago. She gave me a great drawstring bag from Della Q in my colors, and four skeins of O-Wool Balance. Add the two blue and two purple to the two purple I already have and something good will come of this, I'm sure. I really liked that yarn for the February Sweater, so I'm trying to find something just as appropriate. Maybe a throw. It's cold here.

The Beginning of the End

2007-09-24T12:02:00.000-05:00

I have only five more days in Chicago. Needless to say, not much knitting has been happening. I finished the Center Square hat for Stefan, but I forgot to take a picture. It looks like the green one, only in black and grey. Stef came to visit this weekend. Or, rather, he came to crash at my place so he could have fun in Chicago. It was nice to see him anyway.

Today is the only day this week I don't have dinner plans. I don't think much knitting is going to be done this week, either. I've got some serious packing to do.

Dan's here, though, and that calms me tremendously. I gave him his surprise gift, which is what the successful lace is from. It's an altar cloth with an intarsia and embroidered version of a tree from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. I copied the image, removed everything but the tree (as best I could), and overlaid it on a grid set to the proportions of my swatch. Surprisingly, it only took about a week to make. The embroidery was the hardest part, since I didn't know what I was doing (even harder than the lace!), but I think I did alright. I was very happy with it, and Dan was excited about it.

This Makes it All Worthwhile

2007-09-18T13:24:00.000-05:00

Doesn't Jen look like she stepped off the page of the pattern book?

Looking at it, I can't believe I made it. It's Gathering Intentions from Inspired Cable Knits. When I saw the sweater, it just screamed out to be made for Jen. I finished it at her house, after she'd gone to bed so it would remain secret. It fits beautifully and really does suit Jen. The yarn is Valley Yarns Valley Superwash. I like it. It was really sproingy, which I love in a yarn. Plus, it's washable, which is perfect for a mom. Because Jen is a mom, I left off the gathered I-cord part of the right sleeve. I didn't think dangling ties were practical. She'd dip them in a lot of things and they'd get pulled on. I did leave the gathered part on the front, because I liked how it made the design unique.

Also while at Jen's I made Center Square. My floats were a tiny bit close together and they stretch on a big head like mine, making it feel tight. A person with a smaller head will be fine. I don't have an intended recipient, so I'll keep my eye out for someone with a smaller head. I showed the hat to my brother, who immediately wanted it. Then he said "but it won't match my scarf." So now I'm making another out of black and grey RYC Cashsoft. The lengths I go to for family. Let me just say how much I love this yarn, by the way. So soft.

When the Yarn is Packed

2007-09-08T15:24:00.000-05:00

I thought I could make it through the month without buying yarn. As if I have that kind of will power. I packed up all my stash, because my condo has to look like no one lives here. This is more of a challenge to me than the actual move. I have stuff. I use stuff. It gets left out. I feel like I need to make space in a closet to hide stuff when there's a showing (please, someone buy my condo soon!). Luckily, there's a lot of storage in this small place.

A friend of mine just had a baby and wants to have a knitalong. She and I are going to make a Fair Isle-style hat. Because she is a new mom and has much less time for knitting than I do, she's going to make Center Square from the Winter 2006 Knitty, and I'm going to make that and finish Usferud (which I started last year, but am going to rip back to the cotton lining part). So I needed yarn, see. I didn't like the brown I was using on Usferud, so I ordered a darker color, which came super fast from Yarnzilla. I don't like their lack of a yarn search, but they do ship fast and have good prices. Today I walked to Nina to buy yarn for Center Square. I got some RYC Cashsoft Aran in Forest and Karabella Aurora 8 in Leaf.

Then I got inspired. I've been in Nina a lot over the past couple weeks, but nothing has struck my fancy. Today I wanted everything. I bought some Misti Cotton in Brown and Light Blue Twist. There's a ton of yardage in those hanks, so I justified it that way. I think they'll either become mittens or a hat for me.

First, though, I'm finishing Something for Jen. I'm hoping to get it finished before I visit her next week, but if not I'll give it to her for Christmas. I'm quite far along. Some concentrated knitting time should make finishing it by Tuesday night possible.

I Did It!

2007-09-04T13:47:00.001-05:00

I made lace. Two separate patterns, even. The first, the one on the bottom, is Serendipity from Knitting on the Edge. Yarn overs and k3togs on both sides. Of course, there's only twelve rows and seventy-four stitches so it wasn't too torturous. The second pattern is Winding Trail from Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns. Even though it was a seven stitch repeat over twelve rows with purling on all wrong side rows, I had a harder time with it than Serendipity. I think I got too sure of my self with the easier pattern. I'd think I was in a rhythm and then realize that I added a yarn over where one didn't belong.

The biggest problem I had was with the yarn. I used Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk. It's a really lovely yarn and creates a thicker fabric than I expected. The silk strands kept snagging. I think it was the silk and not the Alpaca, though sometimes the long fibers of the Alpaca made getting into the P3tog stitches difficult. I used size five Options for this, but I think duller needles would have been worse. I don't think it was the needle as much as a quality I can't quite put my finger on. Like the silk was too slippery or something. None of the snags were serious. I probably shouldn't even call them snags. In the end, I still feel successful.

On Hold

2007-08-31T10:50:00.000-05:00

Because of the incredible waves Ravelry is making, and because I did not have the foresight to see that it is going to change the world of knitting as we know it (there are 11352 people in front of me on the waiting list), I am putting my knitting blogs research on hold. The social networking aspect of Ravelry is going to become the primary networking and community building space for all knit bloggers very soon. The interest that it has generated and the groups that have already formed is incredible. I'd hate to do all this research on blogs only to have another community forming right under my nose.

If I felt like I had the time, I'd contact the Ravelry folks and talk to them about the phenomenon they have created. That would be the cutting-edge research I should be thinking of conducting. But with all my life changes and preparations for those changes (like moving in a month, packing, selling my condo, starting a job, finishing the fieldwork I'm currently doing, buying a car, learning to live in the desert, and so on), I just don't have the time to be at the forefront of research.

Thank you to everyone who answered my questions. I will save them for when I get back to this research. I am so grateful to you for taking the time to participate. I may not have started a blog of my own if it weren't for the research, and now blogging has become an important part of my knitting. I am so pleased to have made some blog friends and to feel a part of this community. I am especially thankful to those of you who have included my blog on their reading list, and I'm glad I've added so many interesting blogs to my reading list. Thank you.

Birthday Bench

2007-08-26T18:12:00.000-05:00

I'm back in Chicago. Only one month before I head to Nevada. I'm giving away some of my furniture tonight, including my bed. It's going to be a long month.

Here are a few pictures from my latest UP trip. It was a great time. We hiked at Pictured Rocks, ate delicious food--including Jilberts ice cream every day, and enjoyed the views. I finished a pair of socks for one friend and started another pair for the other friend. They are both quite happy with the socks. I'll post a picture of the second pair when I've finished the second sock (it's cast on, to avoid Second Sock Syndrome, and I'm just past the toe).

These were done toe-up in Fortissima Cotton with a 2x2 rib cuff. I had plenty of yarn left over--I probably could have made knee highs.

This is a view of Miner's Castle, at Pictured Rocks.

This is the bench that I built with one of my friends. We did this on my birthday so I'm calling it the Birthday Bench, though I'll be the only one who does.

We built the bench to protect the trees to the left of this picture. They block the view of the lake from one of the sleeping cabins, so we figured a bench with a view might protect the trees from the chainsaw.

Campfire Stories

2007-08-17T22:15:00.001-05:00

For the last time this summer, I'm headed to the UP. This is my annual UP trip. I'm delighted to be able to do this so easily this year, and to have been in the UP so much this summer. I'm looking forward to spending my birthday with people I love, in the woods.

I've been thinking a lot about my parents. My mom seems to be watching over my shoulder all the time these days, and I'm dreaming of her often. I've had to make some hard decisions lately, ones that require moving across country, to Nevada, and selling my condo. It's all been a little easier when I think about the support that my parents always gave during times like these. I'll be celebrating and thanking them on my birthday, in the woods.

Every summer our family vacation was spent camping in the UP. We had a favorite campground that had a lot of trees and dunes and was right on Lake Michigan. On the drive up we would watch for hawks and eagles, and my dad was always so quick to spot them, leaning over the steering wheel, looking up instead of at the road. We'd always stop and eat at the Pizza Hut in St. Ignace, and then we'd swim where the highway runs along the lake. At some point in the trip we'd head up to Seney, to see more birds. I can remember exploring the woods and dunes with my sister, eating steak and onions (pre-vegetarian days, obviously) that my dad had made over the fire, and swimming longer than my sister because she always got cold. Just so I could stay in, my mom would stay in the water, floating on a tube, reading. The waves always seemed so big.

After my parents died, we siblings talked a lot about where this campground was. None of us could remember exactly where it was, though Stefan was almost right (there, I said it). It was special to all of us, mostly because my parents took us there, but also because it's a special place.

On my trip in July, Dan was kind enough to explore the various beaches along route 2 on our way to the Lower Peninsula. We explored a few that just weren't right. I remembered what the road into the campground looked like, I remembered what the campsites were like (even though it was car camping, there was a lot of privacy because of the trees and dunes), and I remembered the beach exactly. I was sure we'd missed it, that we were too close to the bridge, but Dan suggested we try one last spot. I cried the moment we pulled in to the park. My heart just knew it was the place we'd lost.

This is the beach where we used to go as a family.

The Last FO

2007-08-09T15:33:00.000-05:00

I'm on to longer projects. I've got socks on the needles (though, frankly, I'm getting a bit bored with socks) and a unique masterpiece in my mind and swatched. I need a nice, lacy edge with dramatic points that I can pick up from a provisional cast on and work down to the points. It should have a leaf theme. Any suggestions will be helpful. My pattern books just aren't giving the inspiration I need. At any rate, I'm going to be in WIP mode for some time, unless something quick screams at me with desperation I can't refuse. I'm going to try and stick to these two projects until they are both at least three-quarters finished.

To get in the lace mood, and to prove I could work a yarn over in the right place every time, I made the Everlasting Bagstopper from Knitty. It's for Dan, of course. It was quick (and it screamed at me with desperation). I'm still not sure I love the stretchy garter stitch bottom (wouldn't a seed stitch have been sturdier?), and I did ten rounds of stockinette at the top instead of garter by happy mistake. The hemp didn't hurt my hands much and the color--Deep Sea--is great. I used some heavy woven trim for the straps. I left off the drawstring. I love it. I feel accomplished, even with the one mistake. There's nothing about this bag that was wrong. Finally. I needed to feel good about knitting again, especially since I've got a masterpiece in the queue (yes, it's secret. This is the last I'll mention it, I promise).

Empty bag

Bag full of two books and approximately fifteen balls of yarn

Tomorrow I'm headed to the Great Lakes Folk Festival. Folk festivals are always a good time, so come on by East Lansing if you can.

Hugs

2007-08-05T16:47:00.000-05:00

One more FO for your viewing pleasure. This doll is for Renée's first birthday, which is long past. I didn't want to rush so the doll would be perfect. Of course, as is typical with my knitting, there are a couple things that are just a little wonky. The heart is a little lopsided and one of the arms turns back in a funny way.

The doll is from Kath Dalmeny's World of Knitted Toys. I only used stash yarn, which is why the doll color isn't ideal (though it's quite hard to find an appropriate doll color in today's yarns).

February

2007-08-02T10:05:00.000-05:00

Nothing like a February Sweater to make it through the hottest days of summer.

This is for a friend who is due in August. She's a knitter and will surely see my obvious mistakes. I'm hoping she understands that I'd already finished the sleeves--they were cumbersome but I got the lace right--and could not, would not go back and rip it all out. I hope she sees it as an improvement in my lace knitting skills. The bottom of the sweater is perfect. Except that I forgot to put in button holes, so this will only button at the top, along the garter section. I think it will be cute with the right buttons.

Bad lace section

Good lace section

By the way, I followed the advice at Brooklyn Tweed so my sweater was absolutely seamless. Now if I could only get my pictures to look as good as his.

I loved the yarn, O-Wool Balance. There were a few twigs and things, but they were easily picked out. I had about a foot of yarn left over from two skeins after weaving in the ends. I used a size 7 needle to get gauge, so the sweater was a quick knit. The Options needles were great for this, since they have pointy tips. Getting into those SSKs was a lot harder with the Addis I used for the sleeves.

I have one more skein of this yarn in purple. I may pick up another and see if I can't get the lace pattern right yet.

Maybe this should be a Travel Blog

2007-07-30T09:30:00.000-05:00

All this travel has kept me too busy to knit. I did start something for a friend who is due any day with her first baby. I finally feel like I want to sit down and work on knitting.

Here's the thing. I've got this knitting blog project hanging over my head. I asked a few questions to a few bloggers who graciously replied. Then I let it go. It's been months since I've touched the responses. I wanted to follow up with personalized questions, but the holidays happened, then work got so bad I could barely move when I got home, then I quit my job, and now I've been traveling.

But the annual American Folklore Society meeting is coming up. I'm on a panel about using the internet for research. I'd like to actually have something to say. So here's my next step. I want to know why. Why blog about knitting? Why not blog about something else we do everyday? I know some people include food posts or posts about reading in their blogs, but ultimately, our blogs are knitting blogs. Why? Please email me. Tell me why.

I'm also thinking of creating a survey, with the hopes that more people will respond and I can have some statistics to share.

View from Fayette Historic Townsite

Lake Michigan

We canoed this part of the Indian River. This was an easy section.

Dan put his new socks to the test. They held up well in the muck, on the fallen trees, and sloshing through the water. He had decided that his shoes should stay dry (they didn't--we just had too much water splashing about), so he wore just these socks. I'm so glad that he actually uses them. The socks did well. Wool is so great for the water. He had good grip on the trees when we had to push the canoe over, though it could have been due to all the sand that collected on them. When we got back to Chicago, we washed them in the washing machine. They came out great, though clumped with sand. I'm glad the sand stayed on the socks and didn't go down the drain. So Dan brushed them off and gave them another rinse. I'm so proud of these socks.

But It's a Dry Heat

2007-07-08T14:36:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's hot in Chicago. But it was even hotter in southwest Utah. My sister and I went to Zion National Park on Friday. We were headed to Emerald Pools and I didn't think I would make it--it was hot and sunny! Once we did get there, I was totally rejuvenated by the water. It was worth it. On the way down, we passed a woman who asked us how much farther it was up to the water. Boy, did I empathize.

Visiting my sister was great fun. I got to hang out with her at work--she's more competent than she admits--where I walked dogs and played with dogs and pet dogs. Good stuff.

Just before leaving, I started a skirt for Renée (who else?) and a pair of socks for Dan (who else?). I finished one sock just before I left, and I finished the skirt in Utah. I'll probably finish the second sock tonight.

The socks are a simple, toe-up pattern, using the Turkish cast on for the toe, and short rows for the heel. The cuff is "small herringbone rib" from Stitchionary. It looks the same as a twisted stitch, which would have been faster, I think, but I like the look. I'm using the Claudia Hand Painted Yarns I got on my visit to California in March. It's a nice yarn. I wish it had just a little more yardage.

The skirt pattern I made up as I went. It's in Bamboo from Be Sweet. It's a splitty yarn, but it is so soft and drapey, that I can overlook the splits. I started with the waistband, knit a few rows, threw in some yarn overs, knit some more, then more yarn overs, then garter (in the round), then repeated until the end, where I increased for the ruffle, which is in garter. It's a lovely skirt. Like everything I've made for Renée lately, it will probably be too big right now. Oh well. She'll grow.

I leave for the UP again on Friday, so I may not post for a while. I'll be there about ten days, then an overnight in Saginaw visiting Jen and family, then back to Chicago. I may not post until the very end of July, when I'll have more pictures of the UP and hopefully some knitting progress.

Photographs

2007-06-27T19:52:00.002-05:00

The only good thing we found in Missoula (we finally found the downtown on our way out--after a horrible dinner).

Salmon Lake. We camped here. I was worried about bears, and we could hear some kind of cat off in those trees when we were setting up our tent.

Missouri River. We hiked in a nature preserve that had no hiking trails. We were warned to watch for rattlesnakes. Pretty walk, though.

Our friend's place in Wisconsin. He's done all the plumbing himself. I had a shower and it was great.

Dan cooking in the apron I made him. He also used the Nalgene cozy I made for him (inspired by this pattern via this blog, though I made up my own pattern) and he wore the shorts I made. He was all hand-knitted out. He said I could post the picture of him in just the shorts and apron, but I think I'll let you picture that for yourselves.

The Taste of Freedom

2007-06-27T19:09:00.000-05:00

Leaving my job has been the best thing I could ever have done for myself. I would never have had the opportunity to travel as much over the summer (especially in June, when I would have been working really hard on grant review panels).

All the states we visited were interesting. Idaho was very pretty. Eastern Oregon is a lot different than western Oregon (or so Dan* tells me). Montana is very pretty. We spent the most time in Montana--it's a big state! North Dakota was not so great. Lots of RVs in North Dakota. In fact, we drove an extra seventy miles to avoid camping in RV Suburbia State Park. Minnesota was a relief (and, of course, has Bemidji, so it has to be great). We spent the night with friends in Wisconsin, and finished up in the UP of Michigan.

If it weren't for those winters, the UP might be paradise. It sure was great to just sit on the lake and do nothing. I'll be headed back there in July and again in August. I didn't even knit as much as I thought I would. I just sat. Well, we also canoed and cooked and hiked (in the rain--to keep the mosquitoes off) but mostly we just sat and enjoyed the hummingbirds and chirpy squirrels.

I did finish the secret project for Dan. I made him a pair of shorts using the Ibiza pattern from Loop-D-Loop. Not a fun pattern. It's stockinette, but the increasing for the front and back happen at different rates, so I had to pay careful attention and keep a tally going. I finished them in the woods and Dan put them on right away. He loves them, even though I can't remember the joke that made me want to knit them in the first place.

Next week I'm going to visit my sister in Kanab, Utah. After that I'm headed back to the UP. I also have to get back to my own research--I'm a part of a forum in October about using the internet in folklore research. I'd better have something to say.

I put all the pictures in a separate post so neither are too long.

*DG will be known as Dan from here on out (I know it may cause some confusion when I talk about my friend Dan who moved to New York, but I think I'll start calling him Dan who moved to New York--if he doesn't mind--when I talk about him. I owe him a hat, so I might be talking about him soon)