Trish Knits.com

Author: Trish

  • Knitting by Ear

    closeup of clapotis shawl, unfinished

    Here’s the thing. I hate writing posts with no pictures. So I decided to treat your eyes with a project on the UFO bin from 2005. Yes friends, this is my Clapotis. It is made from Rio de la Plata yarn, which is kettle dyed and reminiscent of Malabrigo, but because of its uniqueness in dyeing, I did not have enough yarn to finish the project at the size I was making it. Sure, I had enough balls in the same colorway and even in the same lot, but among the lot that I had there were three distinct piles that I could put my balls of yarn in… and they were all so different! Sigh. Someday I may finish this project anyway, in spite of itself.

    So, on to the real reason for my post today. I want to talk about the podcasts I’ve been listening to while knitting. I am sorely missing Brenda Dayne of Cast On at the moment, so I went in search of other things to occupy my ears whilst I am in waiting. I did find several worth sharing:

    • Sticks and String — a podcast by an Australian bloke who knits. He goes for the tried and true format pretty much defined by Brenda Dayne, but I do find it enjoyable. Especially since he is a relatively new-again knitter. It’s fun to listen to what he finds in the bottom of his knitting bag!
    • Stash and Burn — a podcast by Jenny and Nicole, which is very entertaining!
    • Lime and Violet — very fun! I think this one is worth a listen as well.
    • Let’s Knit2gether — this is a way cool video podcast that gets updated about once a month. This weekend, they have the second half of their essay on the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival up. Check it out!

    Truly it is so hard to decide which podcasts to listen to and which to pass up, because there are so many. I almost listen to podcasts more often than straight music on my iPod.

    Not much knitting in the cards today; I am going to see Hairspray with my daughter and Steve, then to Johnny Rockets for dinner. Then, alas, I have some actual work to do for my job… sigh. It never ends!

    I hope everyone is having glorious, breezy summer weather like we are today. Later!

  • A Different Perspective

    vertical view of striped blanket

    Hello again! This time I decided to photograph my blankie-in-progress vertically so it would be easy to see how big it actually is. Wow! No wonder it is taking me so long to work on this. I think even I didn’t really know how big it was or how well it was progressing. Now I have renewed energy and I do think I can get this done!

    (I’m still glad I have 28 hours in the car coming up in August…. lots of knitting time! I talked to the expectant mom last week and she said that the doctor thinks she’ll go early, so it may not be done in time, but I will get there!)

    I’ve been knitting to a new (to me) podcast recently. I finally subscribed to Quirky Nomads after hearing host Sage Tyrtle participate so much in Cast On. (Where are you, Brenda? I’ve only been listening for a couple of months and I’m all caught up, and I miss you!) Quirky Nomads is definitely different, but fun. Check it out!


    Sennheiser MX 75 Headphones

    And to enhance my listening experience, I replaced the standard earbuds on my iPod with these, the MX75 Sport Earbuds by Sennheiser. Generally I dislike earbuds, but I find myself listening to the iPod while falling asleep at night very often, and the earbuds are less fussy… except of course that they always fell out of my ears. These Sennheisers have an interesting little doohicky at the top that helps to anchor the earbuds to the ear. They also come with rubber disks of varying sizes so you can mix and match and find the sizes that provide a perfect fit. And, they work! And sound great, too.

    I’ve ordered my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on audiobook, so with the iPod and my new earbuds, and lots of knitting to do, I’ll be set for a while.

    Happy knitting!

  • Oh How I Am Longing…

    To hold some soft and snuggly yarn and knit something new!

    I cannot decide which to do:

    The answer? I’ll tell you the answer! None of the above! I’m still working on that striped baby blanket, and it is mocking me. I will persevere! I will, I will!

    (wish me luck–and a little willpower. Please?)

  • Wow, Lookie What I Got!

    Purple striped afghan with photo of woman holding baby inset into the corner

    Today at work I received a surprise gift from a fellow fiber lover! Jonni mostly does lovely, delicate needle work, but she used to be an avid crocheter. She said she was going through some boxes in her house, and came across this afghan, and well, because it was purple, it just had to be mine! Wow. We just moved into a new office building and the general consensus is that the temperature is freezing cold. I guess it could be my abundance of self, or perhaps my middle-aged internal thermometer, but the cool air conditioning is a welcome change for me! Still, I plan to keep this gem thrown over a chair in my office. What a lovely, purple-y gift!

    I photographed it from the vertical angle but the rows go in the horizontal direction, I think I can emulate this idea with knitting, by doing the same traveling stitch technique as in the ball band dishcloth, a la Mason-Dixon Knitting, just stair-stepping the distances of the vertically traveling stitches. I may have to try this look on a dishcloth after I finish the baby blanket.

    That’s Jonni, by the way, in the corner of the photo, holding my son Steven on the day I first brought him to the office. (Steven is 5 now.) Jonni also crocheted a beautiful, white lacy baby blanket which became part of his baptismal layette. I still have it and treasure it to this day.

    Thanks, Jonni! This blanket is so ME, and a wonderful addition to my office.

  • Knitting Knews this week

    Photo of Magic Loop Knitting Technique

    There’s a new knitting community for folks who enjoy the Magic Loop method of circular knitting. The group is called magic-loop and it’s being hosted on Yahoo. There was another group of a similar name, but the owner has gone AWOL and the current moderator is having a really hard time managing the group without being able to change any settings while she is away or whatever.

    I absolutely love the magic loop technique. I use it for all of my circular knitting projects, which to date have been mostly hats. Someday I will attempt socks but haven’t done it yet. Maybe later this year…

    Yarn Harlot Books Now on iTunes!

    Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off Book Cover

    Guess what I found last night?? Stephanie Pearl-McPhee now has two books on iTunes!! Stephanie Pearl McPhee Casts Off, and At Knits End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much. I bought them both!! Finally they have a couple of knitting books on iTunes. It’ll be great for listening to by the pool once I’m done with Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Love it!

  • Happy Knitting Day!

    rainbow stripey blanket in progress again

    So today was spent as every 4th of July is at my house — at the Whitehall Pool and Tennis Club, enjoying a fun picnic and great company. As per usual for me, my time at the pool was spent with much knitting! I know I’ve said it about a thousand times, but I am getting so bored with this project! My intentions are honorable and I will keep going, as this is a baby blankie for a dear friend who is expecting her first. I’m even growing sick of the rainbow colorway, but I keep my energy up because people keep coming up to me at the pool and telling me how pretty it is. Sometimes I choose to believe them, and sometimes I just nod and smile, knowing full well that they can notice this blindingly bright blanket in progress from hundreds of yards away! I do hope that my friend will like it in the end, even though I am growing increasingly doubtful that the project will be done before the baby gets here.


    Now Playing on an iPod Near Me…

    Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Audiobook CD cover

    So while I’m knitting at the pool, I’m listening to the audio version of “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.” I am quite ashamed to admit this, but when I picked up knitting about 4 years ago, I all but stopped reading. (Except for knitting books!) Prior to being a knitter I was an avid reader and I especially loved the Harry Potter series. But here I am, two years after the release of this book, and only weeks away from the release of the ultimate chapter in the series, and I still had not read the book in its entirety. Egad, how awful this was, especially given that my husband arranged for Amazon to deliver it on the very day it was released. I am truly ashamed.

    But, I must admit… a year ago I purchased the Audio CD version. I had heard that the books were very well “performed” by Jim Dale, and wow! What a treat for the ears this is! I wish I had listened to it long ago. If you’re a knitter AND a Harry Potter fan, these Audiobooks are the way to go! They are pricey, but I am also tempted to get the one for “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” since the movie is coming out soon. I need to refresh my memory a bit!

    Anyway, that’s my update for now. Exciting, eh? We’re expecting severe summer storms so I’d better log off for now. Hope all in the US are enjoying the 4th!