Random Friday Stuff

I started this the other evening. It’s the Old Shale Lace Triangle by Evelyn Clark; the pattern’s in the summer 2008 issue of Spin-Off.



You might be thinking, doesn’t this woman have too many projects going already? Like this?



And this?



Not to mention, Jackie's birthday present, which is a surprise and can't be shown just yet. You might wonder, where’s the sense in starting yet another project? But start it I did, and I have no regrets.

And now, to be completely random, here’s one of my favorite new things:



M. J. gave it to me the other morning at work. It delights me to no end. If you want one, you can get one here.

That was actually the first of two gifts M. J. gave me. The second was when I ran into her while I was out taking photos during my lunch hour. She tipped me off to these guys over in the lily pond:



I don’t think I’ve looked at tadpoles close up since I was a kid. I wasn’t headed in the direction of the pond and wouldn’t have seen them if it weren’t for M. J.

I’m glad I used the one sunny lunch hour I had this week to take pictures; it’s been nothing but rain ever since. Here are a few more, all taken outside the Botanic Garden at Mount Holyoke College.








Not a very organized post, I know, but a little meandering never hurt anybody. Have a great weekend – I hope it brings you unexpected discoveries and delights.

Blue Mystery Revealed

From February to April I spent a lot of time working on this:


But I didn't blog about it because it was going to be published. And now, finally, it's available! It's my Emily's Firmaments Shawl, and you can get the pattern from WEBS.



The yarn is WEBS's own Valley Yarns Alpaca/Silk 2/14. I think if I start trying to describe it I will quickly run out of superlatives. It's soft, it has a subtle sheen, it has magnificent drape. It's incredibly light but also warm.


Recognize my Ravelry avatar?

I followed Elizabeth Zimmerman's Pi shawl scheme (which actually I first encountered not via EZ but in Martha Waterman's Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls), using Starlight Lace and Fountain Lace from Walker's Second Treasury, a diamond motif I made up myself, and a vintage edging. I wanted the shawl to suggest a vast, starry sky, because it was inspired by the idea of firmaments in this poem by Amherst poet Emily Dickinson:

Perhaps I asked too large –
I take – no less than skies –
For Earths, grow thick as
Berries, in my native town –

My Basket holds – just – Firmaments –
Those – dangle easy – on my arm,
But smaller bundles – Cram.

You can see Dickinson's house in the background of this photo:


My sister Jackie was kind enough to model the shawl for me on an unseasonably hot day in April. We are both Amherst residents, so it was no trouble to hop on over to the Dickinson Homestead and snap some pictures. I only wish it had been a little later in the year, when the gardens were in bloom.





Thanks to Jackie for her patient modeling and the use of her dining room for the indoor shots, to my sister Betsey for modeling the first version of the shawl, which I made in 2007 (using indigo Zephyr) for a show at Kingston Gallery in Boston, and above all to Kirsten at WEBS, who accepted the pattern and edited it. I'm really glad WEBS is offering the pattern. Like Emily Dickinson, they are a Pioneer Valley gem.

Pistachio

Pattern: Norah Gaughan's Almost Garter scarf
Yarns: Rowan Felted Tweed in Melody; Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light in Fennel and Lavender Mix
Needles: US6 circular
Dimensions: 7 3/4 inches wide, 78 inches long



I love scarves. I can't have enough of them. This one gives me a reason to look forward to fall. Love, love, love it!



Having bound off one thing, I cast on another . . .

Too Darn Hot!

It's hot. 90-plus, high humidity. Is this August or June? Not having AC at home, I drifted from one air-conditioned cafe to another this weekend, taking my knitting with me, and reading The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. (Want to feel grateful for everything you've got? This book will help you do that in no time flat.)

I'm working on a sleeveless shell, using Valley Yarns Southwick, a cotton/bamboo blend. Knitting it in the round, making it up as I go, with a general plan for how much waist shaping to do, how long it will be, etc., based on a top that fits me well. For the ribbing I used Sailor's Rib from Walker's Second Treasury; for the central motif, Stanfield #75. To make it more interesting, I'm varying the width and length of each triangle: 10 rows on the right, 12 left, 14 right; 10 left, 12 right, 14 left, etc.

This is my first time knitting with bamboo. It's so soft and silky, it cools me off just to touch it! The bamboo seems very sensitive to every little thing you do--it makes tiny gauge changes or slightly loose stitches really pop out. I'm trying not to care. I've taken to stopping when I am on the back. That way, when I pick it up again, if there is a little bit of a tension change, it's not out in front where it will forever annoy me.

Pistachio is about 75 percent done. Right now I'm alternating rows of Ultra Alpaca Light in fennel and lavender mix; when I get to around 70 inches, I'll end with several inches of solid lavender and call it a day.

It is strange, maybe even crazy, in 90-degree weather, to be knitting an alpaca scarf that I can't even imagine wearing for many months, but it did make perfect travel knitting when I visited my mom.

Every day I work a little bit on Jackie's birthday present. Project manager that I am, I have worked out a production schedule so that it is done and ready to be bl0cked the day before her birthday: 8 rows a day. If I can manage more in a day, I do, just to be on the safe side. You never know when illness or other slings and arrows might throw you off course.

And when I walk around the lakes at work or on the rail trail, or even on the treadmill at the gym, I'm working on a pair of Openwork Rib Socks (from Sensational Knitted Socks), knit in Cascade Heritage. The first one is almost at the heel; no rush on these as I rarely wear socks in summer.


Recently, for the second or third time, I snapped one of the 2.25mm Knit Picks Harmony sock needles I bought last winter. This left me with only 3, so I ran out to Creative Needle in Amherst and bought a set of Susan Bates. Surprise, surprise: they are now my favorite sock needles. I wish they were 6 inches long rather than 7, but other than that I am happy with them. Nice pointy tips and a smooth surface that really speeds up the pace. I am a loose knitter, so I am surprised about the KP needles breaking on me. I think maybe the laminated birch is not strong enough for such small needles. I've had no problems with my Options and Harmony fixed and interchangeable circulars (in fact, I'm very happy with them); only the sock needles have been a disappointment.

June Beginnings

Yesterday I got the news that the lace workshop I was going to teach next weekend has been cancelled. I was disappointed, but at the same time I felt it was a blessing: since I didn't need to continue making swatches and preparing the handout, I felt I had been released by the universe to do other things. And so other things I did . . .

I began a pair of Openwork Rib socks (another pattern in Sensational Knitted Socks) using this burgundy Cascade Heritage that I picked up at Creative Needle in Amherst recently. So far, I'm loving this yarn, but I am only on the 2x2 ribbing:



I also cast on for a sleeveless summer top that I'm designing using Valley Yarns Southwick, a cotton/bamboo blend. With any luck, I will finish in time to actually wear it during hot weather. Here's the swatch, which contains some elements I will use and one that I won't. It was knit in the round, since I will knit the top in the round. Just to be mysterious, I've arranged it to obscure one of the design elements:



I'm also plugging along every day on Jackie's birthday present (top secret!) and last night while watching Wuthering Heights (the Ralph Fiennes/Juliette Binoche version) made quite a bit of progress on Pistachio:



So, June is off to a good start, despite the lace workshop cancellation. These are off to a good start, too:


I think it's going to be a good summer.

Truth in Advertising

Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks couldn't have a more accurate title. I've just finished my second pair from the book and I love them as much as the first (which were the Diamond Rib pattern).



These are the Elongated Corded Rib. Isn't it a wonderful stitch pattern? Here, have a close-up:



These socks feel as good as they look. The yarn is a soft superwash merino from Yarn Ahoy. (Unfortunately, she's traveling right now, so if you visit her shop you'll see there's no yarn.)

I finished these midway through my vacation--a visit to my mom and brother in Florida. Then I switched to this:



That's Pistachio, now about 25 inches long. I'm going to continue knitting for about 30 inches with the lilac and green, then introduce the lavender skein of Ultra Alpaca Light you see there. I'm aiming for about 70 inches before a gentle blocking.

I'll end with a picture of some Canadian hotties in kilts my mom and I saw at Epcot:


They're a high-energy Celtic band called Off Kilter. We liked them pretty well. I'm sure our enthusiasm had nothing to do with the pint of Guinness (me) and glass of Harp (mom) we'd just had at a pub in the UK pavilion.

Pistachio, Mom, and Dad

I'm off to see my mom in Florida today. For travel projects, I'm taking the Silver Oaks socks, as well as yarns and needles to make swatches for the lace workshop I'm teaching at Metaphor Yarns in Shelburne Falls on June 7 (click on the link, then scroll down for Meta's address and phone). But I decided I needed one more easy travel project, so last night I started this, to use up the leftover yarns from my Tangled Yoke cardigan and the Shetland Triangle shawl:


I'm calling it Pistachio, because that's what the colors remind me of. The pattern is Norah Gaughan's Almost Garter scarf. Like everything she thinks up, it's brilliant. It's basically garter stitch, but you knit it with two colors of yarn, knitting one row of one color, then one row of the other (you have to slide the stitches across the needle to pick up the second color, so you need to use a circular).

That's my mom and dad in the picture behind Pistachio. In another photo you can see my niece Anna when she was a little girl, with one of my sister Jenny's angora bunnies on her lap. Anna was lucky to grow up surrounded by all kinds of fiber goodness--weaving, spinning, dyeing, knitting--or as Jenny puts it, "the whole fiber calamity." I once had the privilege of watching Anna give a 4-H demonstration on how to groom an angora rabbit at the Missouri state fair. She did a terrific job.

It's a bright, sunny day, perfect for traveling. I'll be taking off soon. Mom, I can't wait to see you! Dad is in my heart and mind as well. He always is this time of year . . .


That's me with my dad in Wichita, where I was born. I swear he's got a cigarette in his hand, but so far as I know he didn't smoke. Maybe he did for a little while?

A Tale of Two Shawls, Part II: A Winner

I've drawn a name for the skein of "The Snitch" yarn, and the winner is . . . Reluctant Penguin! Congrats--I've left a message on your blog, and the yarn will be on its way to you soon. Thanks to everyone who left a comment. It was fun reading your guesses about which shawl I'd finish first and why.

The truth is, it didn't really matter which I finished first. As it turned out, I bound off the Shetland Triangle on Sunday, and the Malabrigo on Tuesday.

I improvised the design of the pink Malabrigo shawl following the guidelines in Evelyn Clark's excellent book, Knitting Lace Triangles. It's knit in Malabrigo laceweight in cognac with US4 needles. After blocking, it measures 48 inches across the top and 28 inches from the center back to the tip. It's a gift, and I think it's just the right size for the recipient. Now all I need to do is find a shawl pin to go with it.






I love the range you can get with lace knitting. The Malabrigo is a confection, unbelievably light and airy. The Shetland Triangle, by contrast, is warm and cozy, substantial but not heavy. It's been perfect for the cool mornings we've had this week. After blocking, it measures 60 inches across the top, and 35 inches from center back to tip. The pattern is by Evelyn Clark, from the book Wrap Style. I knit it with Berroco's Ultra Alpaca Light in fennel on US6 needles.







Compared to other lace I've made, the Shetland Triangle knits up quickly. There's something soothing, even mesmerizing about it. It's not as mindless as stockinette but not so complicated that you have to refer to a chart for every stitch. It's easy to "read" your knitting and see where you are.

I highly recommend Evelyn Clark's Knitting Lace Triangles. You can use it to knit shawls she has designed (there are several in the book, all clearly written and photographed), or you can use her guidelines to design your own. Best of all, she provides tables showing the yardage required for shawls of different sizes using different weights of yarn. It's brilliant--she gives you everything you need to customize a shawl to the size you want using the yarn of your choice.

I'll end with a couple of shots of Ida and I having fun modeling the Shetland before I blocked it. Well, I was having fun, anyway. I think Ida was merely tolerating the interruption of her nap.

A Tale of Two Shawls, Part I: A Contest

I have two triangular shawls on the needles, both very close to completion. There's Evelyn Clark's Shetland Triangle Shawl, which I'm making with Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light in fennel, as part of a Ravelry STS knitalong:



I can't quite get that fennel color right. It's actually a little more saturated than in the photo. It reminds me of the color of willow trees when they first put out their leaves.

And then there's this one in Malabrigo laceweight in cognac, which I've improvised following the directions in Evelyn Clark's book Knitting Lace Triangles:



I can't wait to finish both and block them. But since I can't knit two projects simultaneously, one is of course going to be finished before the other. So here's the contest part of today's post: leave a comment guessing which shawl I'll finish first, and your name will go in a drawing to win this:



That's 469 yards of fingering weight superwash merino in a colorway aptly named "The Snitch." It's hand-dyed by Dana Huskey of Unwind Yarn Company (whose sock yarn was recently praised by the Yarn Harlot).

So there you go. Free sock yarn! You don't have to guess correctly to win. Just leave a comment by midnight on Wednesday, May 21. Good luck!

And now, back to my knitting . . .

Caution: Nonknitting Content Ahead

I've had an idea for a new bag kicking around in my head for a while, but no time to make it. Meanwhile, my old black leather bag--I'm not even sure how old, because I bought it "preowned" on eBay--has been looking more and more shabby. The zipper has stopped working, the strap's wearing out, the leather's fading. It's been begging to be retired.

This weekend, finally, I found time to sew. But I set myself a "Yankee thrift" challenge: I had to make the bag from materials I already had. No running out to Joann's or Michael's for thread or fabric or snaps. I took the cover off my Hello Kitty sewing machine and started stitching.

The end result is a mix of leftover fabric, an old pair of brown pants, some cotton batting, a button, and an I-cord knit with Ultra Alpaca Light left over from my Noemi Scarf (see, it always pays to save those odd bits of yarn). It's pretty much how I pictured it in my head, except I didn't have enough of the pretty brown/blue flowered fabric I had hoped to use for the lining. I was so tempted to drive to Joann's yesterday and look for the "perfect" lining material, but I stuck to my guns and used some red cotton instead.


It's just the right size for all the usual contraband I lug around, and it has an interior pocket for the little stuff. All in all, a success, I'd say.

In knitting news: I'm nearly finished with a couple of lace shawls--more about them soon. And these are halfway done:



They're my spring "walk and knit" project and since the weather's been pretty nice lately, I've been out and about working on them often. I'm knitting them in tandem, first the cuffs on one, then the other, then the leg on one, then the other. That's my patented system for avoiding "Second Sock Syndrome." Right now they're both ready for the heel flaps.

And I'm ready to get out of the house and take my new bag on its first outing. I hope you're enjoying the spring as much as I am!

A Scarf, Some WIPs, a Surprise, and Look Out Calvin!

I finished this a few days ago, and got around to blocking it last night:


Pattern: Stork's Nest Scarf, by Nancy Bush, from PieceWork, Jan/Feb 2008
Yarn: Jaggerspun Zephyr wool/silk laceweight
Needles: 2.50mm Addi lace circ

This was one of those projects where the magic of lace thrills you. I just love how lace can go from an unimpressive lumpy bit of nothing to "wow." Here's what it looked like before blocking:



And during blocking:



Beautiful Estonian stitch pattern, beautiful, classic design: Thank you, Nancy Bush!

In other news, I've got some socks going (Elongated Corded Rib, from Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks; hand-dyed superwash merino by Yarn Ahoy):



I continue to plug away on Pignoli (a free Berocco pattern for a felted bag). The yarn is Berocco's Peruvia:



And I've cast on for my sister Jackie's 50th birthday present. Since it's a surprise, I can't show it on the blog till it's finished in early July. I don't even want her stumbling across photos in Flickr, so I'm also not adding photos to the project in my Ravelry notebook. For now, I'll make do with this little sketch of the birthday girl puzzling over what her gift could be:



Speaking of Jackie, she and I are heading to the Calvin Theatre in Northampton today to hear Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, aka the Yarn Harlot. It was pretty cool to see the Yarn Harlot's name on the marquee of the Calvin on the WEBS blog yesterday! I hope Northampton is ready...

Flower Power

Tulips today, but no knitting. Which doesn't mean knitting isn't happening. Work on the Blue Mystery continues. In fact, I'm spending most of my free time in the company of the blue cone in the picture.

Flowers are everywhere on knitting and crocheting blogs around the world recently. Check out the gorgeous bloom in my sister Betsey's photo of her just-finished Blue Curacao crocheted shawl at Postcard from Waterloo. There are sweet blue flowers and a sweet blue hat at Guro's Rett Og Vrangt and lots more flowers both real (scroll down a bit) and embroidered at Clarabelle's blog.

Last but not least, if you're a Peeps fan, or even if you're not, don't miss M.J.'s whimsical tale of Peeps in springtime New England at A Trailer Full of Tunes. Like a Peep on a wire...

I Won! I Actually Won!

Sometimes I whine that I never win anything. You know, I buy the raffle tickets, but I'm never the lucky person who wins the all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii or the spiffy new bicycle. (Although I did once win a bicycle lock. But I already had one, so I gave it away.)

A few days ago, however, my luck changed. I won something! Actually not just one thing, but things! Sara over at Chicken Betty_life from scratch had a contest to celebrate her blogiversary, and believe it or not, I won. (Purely by guessing that of the several WIPS she had going, the first two she'd finish would be the crochet ones. A semi-educated guess, that--crochet generally being faster than knitting.)

Turns out we live close enough together to meet in person, so yesterday we did just that. I was thrilled to see all my goodies. There were four skeins of a tweedy dark green Rowanspun 4-ply (perfect for gloves, I think), an African violet (one of Sara's homegrown "babies"), a necklace and matching earrings (made by Sara!), recipes, including one for "Texas Brownies," knitting notecards, and a jug of maple syrup--also made by Sara and so fresh it was STILL WARM.



Yes. Warm maple syrup. Am I lucky or what? But that's not all. There was also the skein of Louet Gems you can see in the picture, hand-dyed by Sara herself, in a lovely greyish/green color. Immediately, I thought: "Leaf earrings."



Talk about instant gratification--I made these during my lunch hour today. (Want to make some yourself? Scroll down for the free pattern.)


So now I can no longer complain that I never win anything. Thanks again, Sara, for your fun contest and amazing generosity.

A New Leaf

As a little distraction from the ongoing work on the Blue Mystery, I played around with an idea that's been in my head for a while. It's a pattern for a mountain laurel leaf, inspired by the annual Laurel Parade at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. On the day before commencement, graduating seniors (wearing white in solidarity with those who fought for women's right to vote), carry garlands made of mountain laurel leaves as they march in a parade to the grave of College founder Mary Lyon. Alumnae attending reunion march with them and also wear white. At the gravesite, the laurel garlands are wound around the cast-iron fence surrounding Mary Lyon’s grave.

I work at the College, and in the days following commencement I always enjoy seeing the laurel garlands on the fence. It’s a moving reminder that all of us associated with Mount Holyoke are connected thanks to one woman’s vision and determination. So, for Mount Holyoke knitters everywhere, I offer this laurel leaf pattern. Make two, and you’ve got a pair of earrings; make three or more and be clever about attaching them to a chain or cord, and you’ve got a bracelet or a necklace. Make lots—and you’ve got a garland!

Of course, you don’t need to be affiliated with Mount Holyoke to knit this pattern. I hope anyone who loves mountain laurel or leaves of any kind will enjoy making it.


Mountain Laurel Leaf Pattern

Materials needed: a few yards of fingering weight yarn or laceweight yarn held double; double-pointed needles, US1/2.50mm or US2/2.75mm; tapestry needle

Abbreviations:
k – knit
p = purl
kfb = knit into the front and back of the same stitch (1 st increased)
skp = slip 1, knit 1, pass the slipped stitch over (1 st decreased; leans left)
k2tog = knit 2 together (1 st decreased; leans right)

Stem
Cast on 3 stitches, leaving an 8-inch tail. Knit a 3-st I-cord for a half inch or so. Turn work.

Base
Set-up row (WS): k1, p1, k1
R1 (RS): kfb, k1, kfb (5 st)
R2 and all WS rows: knit to center stitch, p1, knit to end
R3: kfb, k to last st, kfb (7 st)
R5: same as R3 (9 st)
R7: same as R3 (11 st)
End with a WS row.

Body
R1 (RS): Knit all st
R2 (WS): Knit to center st, p1, knit to end

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until the leaf body is the desired length.

Tip
R1 (RS): k1, skp, k to last 3 st, k2tog, k1 (9 st)
R2 (WS): knit to center st, p1, knit to end
R3: knit all st
R4: knit to center st, p1, knit to end
R5: k1, skp, k to last 3 st, k2tog, k1 (7 st)
R6: knit to center st, p1, knit to end
R7: knit all st
R8: knit to center st, p1, knit to end
R9: k1, skp, k to last 3 st, k2tog, k1 (5 st)
R10: knit to center st, p1, knit to end
R11: knit all st
R12: knit to center st, p1, knit to end
R13: skp, k1, k2tog (3 st)
R14: k1, p1, k1
R15 (RS): skp, k1
R16 (WS): k2tog

Draw yarn through last st, thread on tapestry needle, and weave in. The cast-on tail can be thread on a tapestry needle, drawn through the stem, and cut, or used to attach the leaf to a chain or cord.

To make leaves of different sizes and shapes: The width of the leaf can be varied by working more or fewer increase rows on the leaf base. The shape of the base and the tip can be varied by working more or fewer RS “knit all st” rows between the increase and decrease rows.


In the photo above, the top leaf was knit with Jaeger Baby Merino 4-ply, color #125; the middle leaf with a double strand of Knit Picks Shadow in Lost Lake; and the bottom leaf with Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Loden.

The pattern is also available as a free PDF in my Ravelry store.

Knitting by Candlelight

I observed Earth Hour yesterday evening by turning off all the lights and my computer. I gathered up candles from around the house and sat down to knit by candlelight. I worked on the Stork's Nest Scarf, which I'm knitting in white Zephyr. There wasn't enough light to knit something dark, but it was just fine for white yarn.

Candlelight is warm and golden, so different from incandescent or fluorescent lights. Knitting by candlelight was a cozy, peaceful experience. I think I might do more personal knitting "Earth Hours."

Did you observe Earth Hour?

What I'm Wearing Today

Pattern: Tangled Yoke Cardigan by Eunny Jang, Interweave Knits, fall 2007
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed in Melody
Buttons: purchased at WEBS, America's Yarn Store, in Northampton, MA
Needles: US3 for the ribbing and cables, US4 everywhere else

I'm so pleased with how my Tangled Yoke turned out. Sometimes while knitting it I worried it wouldn't fit. I worried that the cables looked terrible. I worried that the sleeves would be too short, or too long. But in the end, I couldn't ask for a nicer sweater. I love everything about it.

I love these simple stockinette socks, too. They're like hot chocolate for your feet.

The yarn is Plymouth's Happy Feet, the color #03. Unlike some sock yarns, it wasn't at all splitty. I could knit it by touch, which is nice when you're doing plain vanilla stockinette. My only complaint was that in both skeins there were hard knots; I had to break the yarn to get around them. And although the dye lot was the same for both skeins, the patterning looks different on each sock. But, I kind of like that.

It's a good day.

Added later: The orange pendant is actually a Scrabble tile. It's from Littleput’s Etsy shop.

Ida Knows Best

I'd like to weave in those ends and sew on the buttons, but Ida has other ideas. Maybe tomorrow morning?

In the meantime, my Plymouth Happy Feet socks are done, and they make my feet very happy:

Coming Soon: Tangled Yoke

Two more rows of the buttonhole band to knit, and then the bind off, and my Tangled Yoke cardigan will be done. The poor thing got put on the back burner so many times. It feels great to be at the finish line. I bought this yarn back in September and now am really glad I chose this color of Rowan Felted Tweed, as it's a nice color for spring. The buttons (and the yarn) came from WEBS; it's a good thing I bought 10, as the 9 buttons specified in the pattern would have been spaced too far apart; 10 are just right.

I've been away from the blog for a little while due to being sick, being out of town, and knitting a mystery project that's large and detailed and has to be worked on every day or it won't be done in time. Some days the choice has been between blogging and knitting the mystery project; naturally, the mystery project always wins out.

I began my day as I always do on Easter, listening to Cat Stevens's "Morning Has Broken" while looking out at the light on the fields and trees. They don't show any green yet, but they are beautiful anyway. Happy Easter to those who celebrate it, and happy spring to everyone!

I'll post finished pictures of Tangled Yoke soon and maybe even a pair of socks, too.

Added later--she's blocking!

To Pi or Not to Pi

Liz Lovick has started an Orkney Pi Shawl knitalong over at the EZasPi Yahoo group and she's just posted the first few charts.

Most people are making it in laceweight, of course, but I had the idea of using a worsted weight yarn and creating a blanket or throw rather than a shawl. I cast on yesterday and decided to knit up enough of it to see how it might work out. (Yes, Jared Flood's Hemlock Ring Blanket was my inspiration.)

This morning I ran a lifeline through the stitches, took it off the needle, soaked it in Eucalan for a while, then blocked it. I want to be sure it will lie flat after blocking before I invest any more time and yarn into it. It was very bunchy/ruffly before being pinned out.



I've been planning to make a throw or afghan for my niece's wedding gift with this beautiful Valley Yarns Colrain (50/50 merino/Tencel) in Lapis Blue. I was leaning toward either the Hex Afghan in Knitting Nature or the lovely Saundra Throw designed by Norah Gaughan. But the prospect of knitting up 27 identical hexagons is a little ... well ... wearying.

Then came Liz Lovick's Orkney Pi knitalong, and a lightbulb went off in my head. What do you think? Will a Pi shawl knit in worsted work as a throw/blanket/bedcover?

Maybe I Don't Hate Them So Much After All

Now that I'm wearing them, my attitude about these Vine Lace socks is much improved. The pattern is by Kathy Garguilo, from the book Socks, Socks, Socks, but I modified it to make a larger sock by knitting an extra rep of the 9-st vine lace. The yarn is Knit Picks Risata. It's quite stretchy--similar to Cascade Fixation, but not as thick--and being half cotton, half wool (plus some nylon), it seems like a good all-season sock yarn.

Is It Really Possible to Hate a Sock?

I don't know what it says about my emotional maturity, but yesterday I hated this black vine lace sock about as much as one can hate an inanimate object.



The pair was done. The toes were grafted, the ends woven in. I tried them on. The fit was great. Then, to my horror, I noticed that on one of them, the vine lace pattern had a little jog in it--from a certain point onward, the pretty little yarnovers lined up differently. Instantly, I realized that, when ripping back the other day to correct a mistake, I must have begun the instep needle on the wrong stitch. So everything shifted over a stitch!

I was so mad. Quite frankly, I was sick of these socks, sick unto death of the repetitive vine lace, sick of the stretchy black Risata (which is a blend of cotton, wool, nylon, and something called "Elite"), sick of the way the yarn attracted every little stray bit of lint and cat fur. I considered getting rid of them--putting them in a clothing drop box or something. But how could I give them away when they had a big mistake right smack on the center of the instep? Somehow that seemed like very bad karma.

I have to confess, they were in the trash for a good part of the evening. Just to show them how little I cared about them, I started a pair of plain vanilla stockinette stitch socks with the Plymouth Happy Feet I got for my birthday:



I ignored the black socks and worked on other projects, projects that aren't giving me any grief, like the Blue Mystery (no pics, sorry) and my Stork's Nest Scarf (pattern by Nancy Bush, in white Zephyr):



To be honest, it's been a rough week. I fell on the ice Tuesday morning; my neck and shoulders have been sore ever since. Then I came down with the flu and have been housebound with chills, aches and pains, headache, upset stomach, etc. etc. etc. for what feels like an eternity. And then it snowed all day yesterday. It was snowing when I got up in the morning and it was still snowing when I went to bed.

Finally, this morning, everything seemed a little better. The snow had stopped. I felt well enough to go out and get essentials like cat litter, daffodils, and chocolate pudding. I picked up the annoying sock, ripped back, and got it going again. So far as I can tell, all's well now:



Being sick at home has had one benefit: lots of time to watch the birds coming to my porch. . .


and now, time for more Theraflu and a nap!