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Saturday Sweater Report: Week 2

Sweater in progress
Ok, in case you never believed me before, here’s actual proof that I am the slowest knitter in the world. This represents another week of knitting on my February Lady Sweater, and I still haven’t quite gotten to the second buttonhole yet. It’s ok, though, because I’m enjoying knitting with this yarn. I haven’t had any major knots this week so that’s a real plus.

Today was knit group and I took lots of photos and even some video. I’m kinda tired tonight so I’ll have to try to get to the group report tomorrow. We had lots of new people, including one lady, Alice, that I happened to spy reading knitting magazines in the magazine aisle. I can’t wait to tell you about everyone tomorrow.

I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately. I’ve barely done two inches on my very first sweater and over the last two weeks I’ve bought yarn for three more. Plus some single skeins of Cascade 220 from Webs. (Pssst. In case you’re living under a rock and haven’t heard, they’re having a big sale. Check it out. It’s a good thing.)

Well, I’d better get to bed before I turn into a pumpkin. I’m really BIG tired tonight.

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April 4, 2009
News from the Interwebs

I don’t do this very often but there are so many amazing and exciting events coming up in the world of knitting, that I thought I would take a little space to mention a couple that stand out above the crowd.

Sock Summit 2009

Sock Summit 2009 Logo
Have you guys heard about this one? Sock Summit 2009 promises to be a knitting event like no other! The list of instructors reads like a who’s who of knitting. The instructor list includes names like Lucy Neatby, Nancy Bush, Cat Bordhi, Meg Swansen, Cookie A, and Barbara Walker. The registration opens in May, so keep your eyes open and watch that site. I’m sure they’ll be flooded when the time comes.

Oh how I wish it wasn’t so far away! I’d give my eye teeth to be there, even though I am NOT A SOCK KNITTER. I’d be one, just for that. So many knitters I admire, but the trip is more than I could do. Still I am hoping that many of my knit buddies will go and tell all about it. I can’t wait to hear.

A Radical Act of Knitting in honor of Mother’s Day!

From CODEPINK:

“Calling all CODEPINK knitters! We are creating a beautiful, quilted cozy to cover the fence in front of the White House to honor Mother’s Day. The message will be “We will not raise our children to kill another mother’s child”-inspired by Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation. We’ll be piecing it together from individual squares knitted by YOU as part of the 24 hour Mother’s Day vigil for Women who live in War Zones. The best part is you don’t have to be an experienced knitter to help! This is perfect for knitters of all skill levels—and a great opportunity for those who want to learn! Celebrate the time honored tradition of the radical act of knitting.” Read more about this event here. This sounds easy enough that I think I will participate by making a square or two.

Worldwide Knit in Public Day is June 13

I’m thinking of hosting an event in my hometown. I’ve never done it before but I will be talking to my knitting group this weekend to see what they think. Visit the Worldwide Knit in Public Day website to find an event near you!

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March 31, 2009
New Yarn Smells Like Easter Eggs

Lisa Souza Superfine Merino
Ah, I just love that new yarn smell! You know, that pleasant whiff of vinegar you get when you open a freshly dyed box of yarn? I guess given that it’s springtime it hit me — new yarn smells like Easter eggs. My daughter wrinkles her nose when the aroma of my “stinky” (her assessment) yarn crosses her path, but me, I love the scent and I just want to drink it in. It’s funny how I can link something I love so much now (new yarn — squee!) with something I loved so much as a kid (dyeing eggs). We don’t dye eggs in this house. I’m the only one who would eat them and there’s no way I could eat that many. And I refuse to waste food on account of art’s sake. Am I depriving my kids of the pleasure? I don’t know… now that I look at the world through my mom-colored glasses, it seems to me that the whole egg-dyeing thing would be lost on them and not worth it. Sigh…

Anyway, back to the yarn! It’s Lisa Souza Superwash Merino in the colorway, Wild Things, which I’ve heard is inspired by the artwork in the classic Maurice Sendak story, Where the Wild Things Are. I just love the yummy blues and purples with the splash of earthy greens and browns here and there. Lisa is a real artist and I can thank some of my enabling yarny friends for leading me to her a few years ago.

I’m pretty sure this yarn is destined to be another February Lady sweater someday. I’m probably going to change up the lace pattern when I do it in this color, and maybe make something that looks a little like dragon skin. How cool would that be? But I’m getting ahead of myself again… you know I’m only about 2 inches into the yoke on my current February Lady. But I’m always planning ahead like that. I keep telling myself it’s so when I’m old and retired I’ll have enough yarn to play with for the rest of my life. I think that’s the Yarn Harlot’s rationalization anyway, and I like it. It works for me.

Ok, I’m off to take in a few more yarn fumes, then to bed. Didn’t sleep well last night. Hoping for better luck this time. Ciao!

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March 30, 2009
Knitting with Cat Hair

Tegan likes to help with the knitting
Yesterday I posted on my Facebook Profile that I was wondering how to distract my 16-year-old, nearly blind kitty from wanting to “help” so much with the knitting. One of my friends then asked, “Doesn’t that mean you’re getting cat hair all over your silk yarn?”

Wait. Are you telling me that not ALL knitting comes with cat hair? Silly me! I thought this was par for the course. Cats have a knack for finding the knitting, wherever it happens to be. Why, I’ve even heard of people who don’t even have cats that somehow find their yarn to be a cat magnet! (Ok, not really.)

The truth is that I don’t mind having my cats nearby when I’m knitting. Except when they get on top of my yarn, thereby making it hard for me to pull more yarn from the ball. Or the time when Zoe, my 17-year-old Blue Maine Coon, managed to unravel an entire ball of yarn all over our apartment when she was a kitten. (I didn’t own a camera then, so just trust me when I say it was the biggest mess of yarn I’ve EVER had to clean up.)

So, I don’t mind finding the occasional stripey cat hair in whatever I might be working on. When I do, it says, “Tegan was here.” Knowing that her remaining days are fewer than I’d like to think, this somehow brings comfort to me. I know I’ll be finding evidence that Tegan was here for many years to come.

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March 29, 2009
February Lady Sweater Week One Report

Sweater after one week of kntting
So this is what my February Lady Sweater looks like after just one week. On the one hand, it might not look like much, but on the other, you gotta remember that I am the self-professed slowest knitter in the world. So actually, this measly couple of inches is a huge feat for me.

Have I mentioned how nice the Tess Yarns raw silk feels in my hands?? Oh gosh. It’s cool like cotton, but squishier. I just love it. Perhaps that’s why my progress has been so good this week. I can’t get enough of holding this yarn in my hands. I’m still not taking bets on how long it’s going to take me to get this sweater done. Probably many months. Maybe I’ll wear it to NEXT year’s Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. (You know? I’ve never worn one of my own hand knit creations there. Someday I’ll have to make something appropriate for warm May weather, with the festival in mind.)

My first buttonhole
So here’s my first buttonhole. See? It looks a little funny. But I don’t think anyone will really notice, especially since the buttons themselves will be likely covering the buttonholes up.

This morning I got up early, donned my “knitting uniform,” which today consists of my Ravelry hoodie and a mint green-colored t-shirt (Ravelry colored!), and prepared to sit and knit while listening to the new episode of Cast On. DH and Her Highness the Tween went to skating lessons and BoyZilla had a breakfast date with the grandparents. I was so looking forward to having the house all to myself. Next thing I knew, they were all coming home! Dang. I fell asleep and missed my “me” time. It’s pretty gray and icky today and I’ve been having trouble staying awake all day. Oh well, I guess some days are just like that.

So, what are YOU doing this weekend? Anything fun planned?

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March 28, 2009
Fog

Trees through the fog
FOG

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

Carl Sandburg

This is the view from my yard this morning, looking not much past my next-door neighbor’s yard. Every time I see a foggy day, I think of Carl Sandburg. “Fog” was the first poem I ever had to memorize. It was third grade, in Mrs. Goldstein’s class. So on this dreary, gray morning, here I sit with a mug of tea, brewed VERY black for extra punch, trying to gather what’s left of my energy for this last work day of the week.

The fog of course isn’t helping my energy level. My toes are still cold and I’d really just rather crawl under the blankets and sleep til noon. This kind of gray, damp weather really doesn’t lend itself to a high energy sort of workday! But at least I know that the grayness of my sky is a small sacrifice compared to what the folks along the Red River must be going through right now. I suppose I’d take a little fog any day over that.

Thankfully, there’s a bit of knitting time before I have to sign on for work. I’d better get to it, before it slips away. Happy Friday! Here’s hoping for a sunny afternoon.

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March 27, 2009