Pogona, a scarf or shawl

I finished the Pogona shawl about an hour ago. I made it for the Selfish Westknits knit-a-long. The idea behind the KAL is that since everyone had been doing so much holiday knitting, no one had had time to knit anything for themselves. I'm not much one for knit-a-longs but this seemed like a good excuse to make one of Stephen West's patterns. I've made three of his Boneyard shawls (I'm starting another one as soon as I finish this post.) I've also made Herbivore. I have his e-book as well. I like most of his patterns. They're simple and well written.

I used a lot of markers. It was easier than paying attention to my work.

In other news. I'm in the middle of a major de-stash. I've run out of room to store any more. It's just unrealistic to think I would ever use up all I have. To make matters worse, I just received four large containers of yarn that has been in storage for a couple of years, since we had a yarn yard sale. My friend who has been storing the yarn is letting her storage space go. This was what was left over. Another friend called this morning and has five or six large boxes of yarn she needs to find a home for. She's having to move and doesn't think she'll be able to keep her yarn. Fortunately her taste in yarn is a lot different from mine so I'm not tempted to take it but I'll see if one of my knitting students would be interested.

Not that I'm only saving gray/grey (my spell check says that grey is wrong) but I'd like to have just stuff that's simple in structure, easy to handle, and good quality. I think you can still be a yarn snob even with those limitations.

M1R, M1L

It's what I've been doing for the past couple of weeks. I started this top down cardigan at the beginning of November and then put it aside so I could get my holiday knitting done. I picked it up again at the beginning of January and got as far as the underarms. It's been on hold for a couple of weeks pending my daughter trying it on for size and fit. And that happened last night. Looks like it's going to be fine.



And this is a shawl I'm making as part of a knit-a-long with the Westknits Ravelry group.

What these two things have in common is the increases, M1L and M1R. I'm getting pretty good at it. The shawl is almost done, a couple of inches to go. The cardigan not so much. The sleeves and body are just beginning.

I really need to think about getting a better camera. These colors are just a hint of what they really are. I tried shooting them this morning in natural light and it was worse. I'm thinking about building a light box but I don't know where I'd store it.

More "good luck"

It just keeps coming. Today I twisted my ankle. I can walk but it's not pretty. Damned Dansko shoes. I like 'em. They look good. But I just can't walk right in them.

I also have misplaced six skeins of Rowan Summer Tweed. I've had it in stash for a long time and I came across it the other night and decided it would be perfect for another Boneyard shawl. (I'm doing a KAL with the Westknits Fan Club.) Somehow, in tidying up, I put the yarn away and haven't been able to find it. I did find some Araucania Nature Wool that I had forgotten so I'm using that. It's probably a lot easier to work with anyway.

I had pizza for lunch and I'm having the leftovers tonight. Sometimes life compensates.

OTT

Sometimes I get so bogged down in all my projects, all my stash, all the things I want to knit that I get almost frantic. It's overwhelming at times. Teaching a couple of days a week, trying to get all the holiday knitting done and all the time I spend on Ravelry, it's enough to make you forget why you started in the first place.

But then, every so often, I get to go to TNNA, the National Needlework Association's big semi-annual trade show. (I couldn't find a decent link.)It's an amazing experience. Your mind explodes, your eyes start to glaze over, you get weak in the knees. And that's just the first row of booths.

I went today. It's being held in Long Beach at the Convention Center. I don't know how many vendors are represented but it's just about every major yarn company and lots of smaller up-and coming ones as well. There is so much yarn and so many pattern and book selections that you begin to lose track of where you are. And that doesn't even cover the needlepoint half of the show.

I made some notes of yarns I liked and met with my boss, the owner of A Stitch in Time in San Marino, and went over what I had seen and what my favorites were. She will check everything I liked and decide what we'll be having in the shop in the coming months. I can hardly wait.

When does the good luck begin?

This is the last photo I'll be posting for a while. Something happened to my photo upload program and I'm still not sure how to use some of the other ones I have.

So far this year I've managed to get a virus that has affected my email. I've spent some time and money talking to the people at AT&T and they think they have fixed the problem. I'm not so sure since I'm still getting messages that emails have been bounced. Well, that's an improvement, I suppose. Still not quite what I paid for. So it's back to the phone tomorrow.

And the washing machine broke down in the middle of my second load. That was Tuesday. The technician showed up late today to repair it. So, I'm a couple of days behind on my normal schedule/routine. I hate that. The last load is in the dryer right now.

So, I'm not so sure that the good luck dinner on New Year's Day is actually working.

About the photo though. I'm making a cardigan using some yarn I got in a swap or a destash. It's called Kelly and is from Filtes King which appears to be a Canadian company but it might be German. Anyway, it's cotton and feels like dried grass. But it's easy to see what you're doing. I made the pattern using my pattern making program. I've done a bit more since I took that photo. That was two skeins. I'm just starting the fourth.

I was hoping for some sunshine to get a better photo but that hasn't happened so far.

1/1/11

It's only day one and I'm already behind. I had planned to finish this Boneyard shawl last night. But I was tired and sleepy and I could tell that there weren't enough hours left in 2010 to get it done. I was sound asleep shortly before midnight.



Those are some really washed out photos. I used six skeins of Noro Silk Garden Lite in color 2049. I started with five but had to get one more so I could put the wide border that the pattern stipulates.

I haven't woven the end or blocked the shawl as yet. Maybe tomorrow.

I fixed myself a "good luck" dinner today. Black eyed peas, ham, sweet potatoes and corn bread. I don't know if it's working yet. The first piece of cornbread fell on the floor and went everywhere. The second piece and all else was good.

I've been browsing my books and Ravelry. I have lots of ideas for projects for the coming year. Now I need to quit looking and make some decisions.

For all intents and purposes

I'm done with my holiday knitting. This is what's left of things that need to be wrapped and distributed. There's still one thing on the needles but it's a surprise.



There are three hats, a pair of mittens, a Boneyard shawl and a scarf. I've already given one hat, a scarf, a cowl and a pair of socks.

I'm so ready to get back to some of my own projects. It's always exciting to plan and figure out what I'm going to make for friends and students. Most of my holiday knitting gets done after Thanksgiving so I don't have a lot of time to get it done. It's always worth it.

Now it's back to that cardigan I started at the beginning of November.

We've had a little rain

You may have heard. It's been pouring most of the afternoon with lightening and thunder. We don't care though.



If only we had a fireplace.

I found the batteries. They were in the pencil sharpener. So far my knitting photos are terrible. So it'll be a while yet until I figure out how to make something recognizable. But I am knitting. Hats and cowls. Isn't everyone?

Well, drat!

Here I was, all set to take some pics and post them. I can't find any batteries around here. I had some rechargeable ones but they're not in my old camera, or the newer one. I wonder what I did with them.

So, today, in addition to going to get gift wrapping stuff, I have to buy batteries. Anyway, I'm virtually done with my holiday knitting. I've sent a few greeting cards and consumed way too many cookies and candies. And there's still a week to go.

It's a rainy weekend here in Pasadena, CA. Shoppers are going to be cranky. I know I am.

If I can get out and back early enough I'll still be able to take some pics. Not much to show really. Mostly I'm still trying to reacquaint myself with Blogger.

Also, thanks to everyone who welcomed me back to the blog world.

Don't be so shocked!

So. It's been a while. I've been ruminating. Sorta. Haven't really done much knitting until recently. I think I'm ready to resume.

Things have changed a lot with Blogger and how things are done since I've been here. I'm not sure I can even remember how to do what I used to do. I'll be playing around for a while, I expect.

And I have to get out my cameras and make sure they're in working order. Not that I have a lot to show right now.

About gray. I'm currently really attracted to it, even though I still buy yarn in all colors and still knit some of them. I want to focus on gray and design stuff using that color (and some other neutrals). So we'll see.

Reminders

We were reminded last night that Nature in still in charge. Only a smallish earthquake but still enough to let us know that we only have limited control over what happens. No damage here, other than my nerves.

Here's another reminder. A Stitch in Time is having it's mid-year sale. It started on Friday and runs to June 15. Knitting yarns, needlepoint canvases and books are all 35% off. There's an extra one time 10% off if you bring your email sale flyer or your sign-up confirmation.

No more earth-shattering news at this time.

Handmade

I went to the San Gabriel Bead Company's staff boutique. Among other things I got was this yarn. I'm pretty sure it will be a hat. The yarn is a combination of commercial yarns and some handspun. I got some stitch markers and a leather cord necklace as well. It didn't look very busy when I was there but it was early. One of my students showed up while I was there, along with her three sisters and a friend. I think they all bought something. Hooray for that!

I really like to buy made by hand stuff, especially when it's made by someone I actually know. We don't have a lot of craft fairs around here and I don't see much in the local shops. There may be stuff out there that I don't know about though. I did go to a fair a week ago at the local Waldorf school. I didn't get anything that time. A lot of the ceramics looked like left overs from the 70s. Or else it was too cutesy. I wanted to get something from Janice Rosema but it was a little too expensive for my budget. Maybe next time when I don't have car insurance to pay.

What happened to

my blog. Nothing, actually. I just haven't thought that I had much to say. No new projects to report and very little progress on most of the things you might already know about. (So, John, that's what happened.)

I do have something now though. My friend Hannah,(the H in L&H fame), is participating in the annual Spring boutique at San Gabriel Bead Company in Arcadia. It starts tomorrow, May 1 and goes through Sunday, May 3. I went last year and found several things that I needed. I'm planning to go this year too. I've seen a couple of the items that Hannah has been working on, so I know it will be worth going. If you're in the area, please stop by. Go here for more information, including a map and the boutique hours.

It's not much

but it's all I've got. I've been working on these socks off and on for about a month. I'm anxious to finish them, just to have something finished. I took them with me yesterday to work on while I visited with my friend Susan. I ripped most of what I knit since I had introduced an extra yarn over five rows back. I'm on track now and just might get them done today.

I should be working on my shop sample project but I need a break. Maybe later today, if I do finish the socks and don't find something else to distract me.

It's supposed to be Spring

but you can't tell by the weather. I know that in some parts of the world 48 degrees (9C) would seem warm. My brother in Utah thinks I'm a wimp because I think that is cold.

Yesterday was the big Pasadena marathon. The one that replaced the one that was canceled last fall due to bad air from all the brush fires. They didn't cancel it this time even though there was a huge rain storm that passed through just as the race was getting underway. I've never seen so many soaking wet people at one time, except maybe at the beach. I was pretty soaked myself by the time I got half way through my walk so I cut it short and came home to un-chill out.

And to work on the sock. I'm using my Signature dpns that I got for my birthday. They're ideal for working all the left and right twists in this stitch pattern. I do think I'm going to rip the heel and re-do it using short rows. And I'll probably change the reverse stockinette on the sole to stockinette.

I'm using Socks That Rock in the Xmas Rock colorway. It's a lot more intense than the photo shows. Had to use a flash since there was next to no sun when we took the picture yesterday.

What's new?

I don't mean to gloat but I am so happy with my new yarn. I went on a yarn field trip last Saturday and brought this home with me.

A = Handmaiden Casbah in Blackberry; 81% merino, 9% cashmere, 10% nylon.
B = Dream in Color Smooshy in Gothic Rose; superfine merino 100%
C = Pagewood Farm in Mississippi Mud; merino and nylon. No percentages given.

I can't tell you where I got it. I've been ordered to keep it a secret to protect our sources. It's a long way from here though. I'll be going back, if there's anything left after I do my taxes.

Meanwhile, I've been knitting on this:



Araucania Ruca Multy, 100% sugar cane. It's a wonderful yarn. I thought it would be hard to work with, but it's not. No splitting and I haven't found a single knot. It feels good in my hands. Very pleasant.



I'm making a shop sample but it's also sized to fit the shop owner. The pattern is from the latest Verena magazine and I'm making some adjustments here and there. It looks like it's going to be very pretty.

Face what?

So, now I'm on facebook but I don't know what that's supposed to do for me. And I can't make much sense of the emails I'm getting. Where am I supposed to go to find all the details of how to use this to enhance my on-line life? Is there a tutorial or am I supposed to just intuit how it works? Is this really going to improve the quality of my everyday life?

Meanwhile, I've been buying some new yarns and as soon as we have some decent sunshine I'll be taking and posting some pictures.

I've said it before, I'll say it again

Orange you glad?

I'm not all that crazy about crochet but I do know how to do it. It's not something I talk about very often and I definitely don't want to teach it. But once in a while I see something that I like. Like this shawl from Knottie by Nature. It's called My Blue Jeans Shawl.

I had some Cascade 220 in stash that I thought would work and I thought I had enough. The pattern doesn't have precise information but I was pretty sure I could make it with what I had. It didn't turn out that way.



I was about half a skein short of what I needed. I couldn't find any in any of the shops around here but L to the rescue. She had a whole skein in her Cascade leftovers. It was a different dye lot but I can't see any difference.

Be there, be square

So, it's daylight savings time again. That doesn't particularly bother me since I live my life on cat time. I either got up at 3AM or 4AM this morning. I'm already thinking about when I can go to bed tonight. But anyway that's not what the picture is about, except I had to use a flash since it's still pretty dark. Plus it's overcast.

I got some more dpns. Square ones from Kollage. I've started yet another pair of socks. This time in Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn. I like the needles partly because I could get them in a 7" length. I don't like them as much as the Signature ones I got for my birthday. These I purchased with my own dwindling supply of hard earned cash. I don't notice the squareness when I'm knitting with them unless I consciously try to. The stitches stay securely on the needles. I think I'm getting back into metal needles, especially for socks. I have some trouble with K2tog when I'm working at sock gauge and am always apprehensive that I'll break one of the bamboo needles. I haven't yet but I feel like I have to be extra careful. The new Signature and these Kollage are strong enough that I don't think I have to worry.

Something else new. The New Knitting Stitch Library by Lesley Stanfield. I'd never heard of this book until I saw a reference in one of Charlene Schurch's sock books. Anyway, it's been on my wish list for a couple of years and I finally got it for my birthday. I haven't spent much time with it as yet but it looks pretty good so far.

My Signature

Another birthday present. A gift certificate for a set of Signature dpns. (Thanks L&H) They are amazing! I wasn't sure if I'd like the metal. But I sure wanted those stiletto points.

I've used a lot of different kinds of needles in my day. Casein, bamboo, aluminum, plastic. You name it. I don't know what the metal is in these needles but it's very light. There is a coating on the shank of the needle that keeps the stitches securely in place and yet allows the work to move easily to the tip of the needle. I haven't had one single needle fall out. They're as secure as bamboo, perhaps even more so.

My first project on these dpns is some socks using Zauberball sock yarn. I got the needles in a US2. My most frequently used size. I think the yarn is a bit thin for this size so I'll be ripping and going down to a smaller size. I'm getting ladders that I don't usually get. The Zauberball doesn't have much give and it really needs to be knit plain so I can't get away with ladders. I got the yarn in a couple of different colorways.