My So-Called Something

Whenever I think of the past, it brings back so many memories.
-Stephen Wright

And I was doing so well. With blogging. With stash reduction. And then I saw this post on Ravelry offering a phenomenal deal on sock yarn. Let's consider that my Christmas present to myself, shall we?

Believe it or not, I was actually (sort of kind of maybe in another universe) running low on sock yarn. Or at least it seemed that way since I copied Rebecca and bagged up all my yarn for Personal Sock Club 2009. Out of sight, out of mind.

So, blogging. I kept telling myself I had so much to blog about and then that seemed daunting, so I put it off. So we'll just pop in for fun here.

This was the project of the month from November. Or was it October? I finished it just in time for the 3 year anniversary of buying the yarn just for this project. I bought it at Churchhouse Yarns on Bainbridge Island on a delightfully chilly and blustery and rainy day in the Pacific Northwest when I was visiting the incomparable Kate D. Ah, memories.

My So-Called Scarf
Pattern: free, online
Yarn: Manos del Uraguay
Needles: US 9
Notes: No changes. Great pattern.
Best Thing About This Project: The memories, of course. And how it matches my winter coat. That I'll get to wear in Pennsylvania next week.

Is it just me or have scarves gotten fun lately? I've spent most of today captivated by a Noro Striped Scarf (but in Paton's Soy Wool Stripes), and I just started Besotted for my handknit-appreciating husband. He is always telling me to buy more yarn, after all. Right, honey? Right? Right? Hello? Are you there? You like me to buy yarn, right?

Another Way to Keep Warm

I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered.

But I was not pleased to read the description in a catalgoue:

no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall.

-Eleanor Roosevelt

It was a whole 47 degrees this morning when I got in my car to head to work. For San Diego, that's definite sweater weather. Maybe even mittens, although for the whole 10 minute drive I tend to just put the seat heaters on and "tough it out." And actually, I tend to wear hooded sweatshirts more than sweaters when I'm dragging myself off in the pre-dawn hours. A morning person, I am not. Just ask my mom.

Speaking of my mom, she's a grand appreciator of handknits. You may recall that when I saw her earlier this month, she tried to steal my brand-new cowl. Since there's no good reason we can't both have one, I made another one:

(The color is truer in the original post - darker than here.) That's the Luxe Neckwarmer from Knit 2 Together, for those of you too lazy to follow the link.

Those cowls were fun. And if not entirely stashbusters, due to not requiring super-much yarn, they did provide a potential outlet for heretofore unusused lovely skeins.

Hence, the next cowl:

Nova's Birthday Cowl
Pattern: Birthday Cowl, free pattern here
Yarn: Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair
Needles: US 8
Notes: Great easy pattern. Very similar to the one in the Odessa hat.
Best Thing About This Project: The way the yarn blooms.

The only challenge with this cowl is going to be finding someone who can wear this color so close to their face. It's a gorgeous coral which I used to great effect as an accent here and here, but alone it's quite bright.

So then I took a look at the rest of my Mountain Mohair leftovers (because I'm learning that leftovers - often in massive quantities are what happens when you do stranded knitting), conveniently sitting in a basket waiting their turn. And another cowl was born.

Almost Lichen Cowl
Pattern: inspired by the Lichen Cowl from Lollyknits
Yarn: more Mountain Mohair leftovers
Needles: US 8
Notes: I modified this to make it narrower - the original can be wrapped twice around the neck, but I wanted a more straightforward cowl. I think I used 90 sts or thereabouts.
Best Thing About This Project: Soft fuzzy yarn, delightful colors - and "my" colors, and the perfect thing to keep a little chill at bay, indoors or out. Because any day you can wear handknits is better than any day you can't.

Something From Nothing

I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing I know anything about.

-Oscar Wilde

I talk about my stash occasionally on this blog (note to self: take some pictures). Today, let's talk about the non-stash. I know we all have one. I'm talking about the partial balls of yarn that even the most OCD of us don't list on our stash spreadsheets. In my case, I separate out the sock leftovers from the regular ones. And while the sock leftovers are quickly overflowing their basket, the regular leftovers fill an entire wicker laundry basket by themselves. Sure, they don't count in my yardage, but they sure do take up space.

Steathily, in the last few months, I took some promising skeins and matched them with some promising projects in my Ravelry queue. And there you have it - something from nothing.

Halley's Comet Hat
Pattern: by Marnie McLean, free online
Yarn: Cotton-Ease in red (not quite as orange as it appears on the screen), about 1/2 skein
Needles: US8
Notes: Speedy pattern. Looks a lot better on.
Best Thing About This Project: Something from nothing.

Huckleberry Ascot
Pattern: from Interweave Knits, Holiday 2007
Yarn: (I think . . .) Lionbrand Wool-ease Sportweight in blue, about 1/2 skein
Needles: US 6
Notes: Great fun pattern, very clear, and intuitive once you get into it.
Best Thing About This Project: Something from nothing.

And, last but not least (and please ignore the photo issues - I just learned that you can edit photos in iPhoto and while it made the colors much more true, I can't fix what I did with the border. . .), a kerchief.

Apres-Ski Kerchief
Pattern: from Handknit Holidays
Yarn: Knit Picks Decadence (now discontinued, which is too bad, because it was a great yarn for quick Christmas gifts!)
Needles: US 9
Notes: Technically the reverse stockinette stitch is the right side, but it actually looks good both ways.
Best Thing About This Project: Something from nothing.

Something from nothing doesn't just apply to knitting. Last week I stocked my freezer with homemade chicken stock.
The bones from a full chicken, and peelings from all my veggies that had been hanging out in the freezer waiting for this day. Gosh I feel industrious!

Wednesday is for Works-in-Progress

I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple
in a field somewhere and don't notice it.
-Alice Walker

All this resurrecting old FOs, and posting daily for more than half a month, and shamefully little attention has been paid to what is actually on the needles.

How about a preview of the next FOs?

First up, finishing up the Socktoberfest startitis:

Little Child's French Sock from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks, in a delightful purple Rowan Botany. This is a lovely sproingy yarn deep from the recesses of the stash, and it's looking good. I'm done the first sock, and a few repeats down the cuff of the second.

Next, My So-Called Scarf.
This was October's Yarn of the Month, but I've only just started paying attention to it. This exact yarn for this exact project has been stash marinating since December 2005 when I was visiting a friend in Seattle. We took the ferry over to Bainbridge Island, and there it was. About time, and isn't it lovely?Unfortunately, lace work-in-progress photos are less lovely. This is the North Sea Shawl from Folk Shawls, which has been in my mental queue since I first started knitting. That was one of the few knitting books the local library had when I started knitting, and I used to dream about the projects. No time like the present, using some lovely fingering weight alpaca in navy blue that my brother brought me from Peru. It's an easy repetitive pattern for now, and I'm enjoying it. I had been holding steady with those projects and the Dale, until this weekend. A one (or two, or three, or . . .) project knitter I am not. So I started Debbie Bliss' Seed Stitch and Cables baby sweater out of some blue Cotton Ease.
Is it just me, or does Debbie Bliss have the largest children? This is the 18 month size, and it looks like it would easily fit my 10 yo niece.

And, while it didn't make the photo shoot, I also cast on for the Aran Watch Cap from Charlene Schurch's Hat's On! book in a burdgundy Paton's Classic Merino. I need to be prepared for the annual family Christmas pollyanna, and picking names on Thanksgiving doesn't leave a lot of time for knitters.

The good news is that I expect to finish all of these except the shawl (but I will finish the Dale!) by the end of the month. . . which should help offset the stash aquisition for the Second Anniversary Sweater. Is it wrong to be happy that my yarn is backordered and hopefully won't come until December? Or is that just the kind of fuzzy accounting that got the whole economy in trouble?

A Weekend in Pictures

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
-St. Augustine

As you know, last weekend I went here

(Santa Fe, New Mexico), to see these folks(my parents), and these folks(flitgirl's parents), and drink good coffeeand show off a new finished object.(Ignore that I really need a hair cut. Thanks.) I guess you know that a finished object is successful when it gets stolen within a day of being cast off. In a fit of excitement last week, I decided that November's yarn of the month was destined to be a cowl. It was delightful - this cushy handspun merino singles that I bought in the Union Square Greenmarket about 3 or 4 years ago. And feather-and-fan. And speedy. I'm so in love. (And so is my mom, wearing it above.)

Greenmarket Cowl
Pattern: Luxe Neck Warmer from Knit 2 Together (Ravelry link)
Yarn: handspun merino from the Union Square Greenmarket
Needles: US 10 (it's like knitting a hat, without needing dpns for the top!)
Notes: No changes.
Best Thing About This Project: I've already made another one of these (if my mom liked it that much, she's definitely getting one for Christmas), and started Nova's Birthday Cowl in some other yarn. This is the best bandwagon I've been on in a while!

Fun in the Cold - Scarf Edition

One kind word can warm three winter months.
-Japanese Proverb

As I mentioned, I'm away from the interwebs this weekend, hopefully enjoying slightly chillier weather than is usual in San Diego. As I tried to pack, I was stuck with all sorts of difficult decisions about what to take. Which sweaters? Hats? Scarves? Mittens? And . . . it's only a 4 day trip.

So let's admire the rubbermaid-of-winter. It lives under the bed.

The scarves are difficult to see all piled up, but you do notice my Yardley's of London lavendar soap. Keeps everything smelling nice, and keeps the moths away.

While going through, I realize a blogging omission from a few months ago. My lovely sister-in-law made me a scarf for my birthday. The full details are on her blog here. It's a lovely lace pattern in cotton, perfect for most of the weather in San Diego.

In the meantime, which of the scarves to choose? Gosh, life is tough!

Summer Scarves

The best thing one can do when it's raining is let it rain.

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Yesterday was my day off and I had all kinds of good intentions to round up the WIPs and dangle them out for the world to see. (True confessions: I had a bout of startitis when my husband deployed. It's a common stress reaction, I find.) But I was stymied by . . . the weather! Clouds. Cool breezes. Threatening rain even. So exciting I'm almost beside myself. I even baked pumpkin bread in honor of the occasion (try the recipe here - it's like a very yummy pumpkin spice bread). So it was too overcast to photograph the new goodies - mittens and Socktoberfest socks and knitting with beads and oh-my-so-much-knitting-fun.

Let's revisit some summer knits then, in honor of the fact that it might actually even rain today in San Diego:

My yarn of the month for (gulp!) June was this hank of laceweight from Morehouse Merino farms. It had been gifted to me by a friend, and marinating in the stash since either my last year of college or first year of med school (circa 2001-2003). It's a lovely single ply in bright, hand-dyed colors, and finally I got to use it.

Merino Ribbon Scarf
Pattern: Lace Ribbon Scarf from Knitty, Spring 2008
Yarn: Morehouse Merino laceweight, 1 hank, Santa Fe colorway
Needles: US 6 or 7, I forget
Notes: Great, easily memorized pattern. I'm not in love with the color flashing across the scarf, but I did enjoy knitting it.
Best Thing About This Project: Memories of a sunny summer in Providence, all brought back while knitting it.

I cannot at all recall when I finished this second summer scarf. I do know that I was working on it during the trip to Pennsylvania for my wedding in April, so it's been a while. It was a great portable project, as well, with just enough interest.

Lacy Kerchief
Pattern: Lacy Kerchief from Interweave Knits, Summer 2005 (a great issue)
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, old put up, colorway Candy Blue
Needles: US 8
Notes: I didn't make this quite as long as called for in the pattern, and it's still very very long. With the garter stitch, though, it's very scrunchy and looks great wrapped.
Best Thing About This Project: I love this color.

Now I'm heading out to see if I can catch some rain. Wouldn't that be fun?

Weekend Roundup

Love is like a virus. It can happen to anyone at anytime.

-Maya Angelou

It's probably no coincidence that as soon as I started working nights (you try sleeping in San Diego in the middle of the day!), I got knocked down by a nasty summer cold. The kind of cold that fogs your brain and makes you think it's a good idea to stare at the wall and do nothing. In other words, the kind that makes me feel very much not like me. This means that sewing up last month's cardigan, starting my Nantucket Jacket, and really anything else that takes brain power is off limits. Good thing that June is Kitchen Accessories Month at A Loose Knit Group! I just happen to have an enormous ball of Sugar and Cream gifted to me some time ago, and a few of Abigail's dishcloth patterns in hand.

Two down, working on the third. Just how many do you think I can get from this huge ball?

On a related note, apparently the dishcloth bug is out there. Check out my sister-in-law's first cables - nice, huh? It looks like we'll be meeting up in Phoenix in a couple weeks, so I think we'll limit the knitting to cotton. Phoenix in June is hardly wool sweater weather.

There has been just a little bit of other knitting. Flitgirl and Toasty Joe came to town and cheered me up in the middle of that cold-of-which-we-shall-not-speak. If you've ever read Toasty's blog, you won't be surprised to hear that we went to the Padres-Mets game. A perfect opportunity for some knitting. My yarn of the month for June is some Morehouse Merino laceweight that a friend gave me quite some time ago - I think early in med school, but it mmight even have been college. Regardless, it's stash-marinated long enough and now it's happy to become the Lace Ribbons Scarf from the Spring (or was it Summer?) Knitty.

Now, if only my voice would come back . . .

February's Project is Full of Grace

Grace isn't a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal.
It's a way to live.
-Jackie Windspear

The yarn of the month for February is a very special yarn to me. A yarn that needed a perfect project. It was a gift, as most of my "too special to knit" yarn is, but this gift in particular is irreplacable. Several years ago, my best friend's mom took up knitting. It was in the middle of the fun fur craze, and I remember her showing me her early scarves. She had clearly progressed in her knitting skills since, and around my birthday when I had first moved to San Diego, I got a surprise gift of three skeins of yarn. It's a beautiful silk-wool blend from Chasing Rainbows Dyeworks, and it was lovely to just have around. A few months later, she was diagnosed with brain cancer, and she passed away a few months after that. I just couldn't decide what to make with such a special yarn. Until I realized that Clapotis called for that weight, and precisely that amount of yarn. It was perfect. Designed for hand-dyed yarn, simple enough to show off its beauty, and a warm comforting final project.

February's Full of Grace
Pattern: Claptois, from Knitty
Yarn: Chasing Rainbows Dyeworks, wool-silk blend, 3 skeins
Needles: US 8 dpns
Notes: No changes to the pattern. It was surprisingly entertaining to knit; I could barely put it down.
Best Thing About This Project: Using this gift.

Bonus Time

It has been said that a Scotchman has not seen the world until he has seen Edinburgh; and I think that I may say that an American has not seen the United States until he as seen Mardi-Gras in New Orleans.
- Mark Twain

I had a great weekend. That I'm just getting around to blogging about it on Thursday should tell you something about my working week. But let's dwell instead on my Bonus Time weekend with my husband. He flew out for the long weekend - I got a whole 1 1/2 consecutive days off - and we went to Disneyland. It was truely the happiest place on earth on Sunday. A weekend like that goes far to boost a mood during a busy work week.

Early on when J and I first started dating, we developed a term "Bonus Day" and "Bonus Time." We both had difficult schedules, each working 6 days a week and rarely having that same day off. Everytime we both had that same day off, we called it a bonus day. And a half day, or an unexpected evening, bonus time. Now that we're geo bachelors (a military term for "geographical bachelors," service members separated from their spouses by geography), it's all Bonus Time. We still use the term, and it struck me recently as a little odd that it's remarkable, rather than routine, when I get to see my husband. Even before he had to go to Florida, a weeknight together was a bonus time. There's no doubt that we're jealous of all the couples who get to see each other every night, have dinner together, and even get a whole, regular weekend off. But it's struck me recently that it is not a terrible thing that time spent with my husband is a bonus. That we value it. And never take it for granted. In fact, I think that's actually a pretty good thing, in fact. (Plus, he'll be coming home pretty soon!)

On that note, the photos from Disneyland are still locked inside his camera in Pensacola. So, instead, we'll move onto the Time Machine Tuesday Thursday component of our blog. Several weeks ago, I promised to show photos of The Scarf That Took On New Orleans. On a prior Bonus Weekend, we went over to New Orleans for a great weekend away. It was cold, but I was packing light. Ene's Scarf was just the thing.

Ene's Scarf, circa 2005
Pattern: by Nancy Bush, in Scarf Style
Yarn: School Products hand-dyed cashmere, approx fingering weight
Needles: unsure
Wearing Notes: This very well may be the knit I wear most. It's a triangular shawl, but it's thin and drapey so I often wear it as a scarf. It goes with my fleece (see above), and also my fancy white wool coat. It keeps my shoulders warm in a cold restaurant. And it's held up to it's once or twice a season washings.
Best Thing About This Project: I was knitting it on a trip to Seattle when I found out that I'd matched in San Diego for residency. I had no idea I'd be wearing it on a weekend trip with my husband two years later. Gosh, that was lucky!

Spring is Springing

A little Madness in the Spring Is wholesome even for the King.

-Emily Dickinson

My apologies for missing Time Machine Tuesday again this week. The good news is that my eyes are healing (so saith my opthalmologist), and I should be in a position to get my new prescription (and the snazzy new frames I'm going to treat myself to!) in the next couple of weeks. The bad news is that I'm still on the wards. And it's pretty busy. At any rate, there's still the occasional knitting going on.

In spite of the woollen goodness that is my knitting these days, spring is coming into southern California in a really lovely way this year. I had the opportunity (and the day off!) to drive up into Orange County last Saturday to attend JayJay's baby shower (full of knitters!), and the drive was filled with orange and yellow wildflowers on the side of the road. It was a nice contrast to the snow-capped mountains to the East, and the palm trees and ocean coast to the West.
I do have one finished object appropriate for more springy-weather: The Chevron Scarf that snuck up on us all out of nowhere.

To answer some questions, well really, the question - how many leftovers did I use? I used the leftovers from 2 pairs of socks. I have small feet, so I'm guessing this is about 35g of each. The scarf came out about 60" long, a little shorter than what was called for in the pattern, but perfectly adequate for a nice thin spring neck wrap.


Can anyone recommend a good small scale that is accurate to 1 gram? All the kitchen scales I find are only accurate to 1 oz, which is 3+ grams and not a margin of error I want for knitting.

A Stealth Project

The greatest pleasure I know is to do something by stealth and have it found by accident.

-Charles Lamb

It doesn't technically reduce the stash. It's not a mitten. Or a hat. It was supposed to be hanging out in the background for a while. I don't know what happened. But my basket of leftover sock yarn was calling. And it thought it could be a chevron scarf.
And now it's almost done. With plenty of yarn leftover for another one . . .

Some Scarves

The thing I miss about Air Force One is they don't lose my luggage.
-George H. W. Bush

Welcome to Time Machine Tuesday, brought to you on Wednesday this week by the fine folks who left me stranded in Houston yesterday after assuring me three times that I would make my connecting flight. I mean, really - wouldn't you rather be stranded with your husband instead of some airport motel? I think so.

At any rate, it's hard to get too upset after a phenomenal weekend on the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. Not only was it full of fun new sights and good food and buildings older than 20 years, but it was also cold. Highs in the low 50s meant that most of the day and night it was in the 20s and 30s. And that meant great scarf and mitten weather. So, today, we'll explore some scarves for Time Machine Tuesday. Mostly because these are the photos I already had loaded up and, as stated, I'm stranded in Houston. Hmmm . . .

Scarf #1, circa 2002 Pattern: A sideways garter stitch stripe with self-fringing edges
Yarn: All kinds of leftovers from all the Lionbrand and other craft store yarns I had when I first started knitting
Needles: long circulars
Notes: This is a great concept for a scarf, where-ever I first heard it. It was fun, easy, and a little too addicting when I was making it. Actually, I made two and the second I gave away. I used a worsted weight grey yarn as a base for this and knit with that every 3rd row, for balance.
Wearing Notes: As you can see, this is a little worse for the wear. So much so, that I'm tossing it after the photo shoot. The culprit? The chenille. Worms are ugly.
Best Thing About This Project: It used to look awesome with this leather jacket I wore in med school. Plus, I always love a good "something from nothing" knit.

Scarf #2, circa 2004
Pattern: Old Shale from Mielke's Farm - great free pattern
Yarn: some craft-store mohair blend
Needles: US 8? 9?
Notes: Fun, easy pattern. Lots of bang for the buck. Makes a skinny scarf.
Wearing Notes: This scarf, too, used to look great with that leather jacket. The yarn has lost a lot of its original body over time, and it's soon heading for the Goodwill box. But it got a lot of wear, and for a total yarn cost of around $5, I think I got my money's worth.
Best Thing About This Project: I loved having a whole scarf collection to pick and chose for the day or occasion. This was a rather valued member.

Next up: The scarf that took on New Orleans with great aplomb.

Leaves in My Backyard

It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life.

-P.D. James

Home for fall - pumpkins, leaves, and the general change of weather on the east coast. I love it. (And I really miss it.)
So while I'm hanging out with all the family, delivering baby gifts, attending my wedding shower, and just generally enjoying this all, we can all admire the finally blocked September UFO.

Backyard Leaves Scarf

Pattern: Backyard Leaves Scarf from Scarf Style

Yarn: KnitPicks Merino Style in Asparagus (3 skeins)

Needles: US 7 Brittany Birch straights (oh, how I love thee)

Notes: This was, like most scarf projects, both fun and tedious. The lace pattern is interesting, but I never could memorize it, and it does seem to grow. But it's still a scarf. And still long.

Best Thing About This Project: Finally getting around to knitting it after having the yarn for 2 years.

Down to the Wire

Autumn is really the best of the seasons;
and I'm not sure that old age isn't the best part of life.
But of course, like autumn, it doesn't last.
-C.S. Lewis

Almost the last day of the month. UFO Resurrection for September is down to the wire.

A baby sweater only needs 4 buttons sewn on.

The Backyard Leaves Scarf is not far behind.Which will it be?

All Tangled Up

Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive.

Have you ever wondered what your UFOs are doing behind your back? Now I've discovered their dirty little secret.

Yup, creating a huge tangled mess for us to deal with. Let's just say that denim yarn is not the easiest thing ever to unwind.

The upshot? I've starting paying attention again to my Shaped Denim Aran from Debbie Bliss' Celtic Knits. It must be something about fall, since it was right around this time last year that I started it in the first place. It'd be nice to wear in the next couple o' months, but it's a lot of cabling in a stiff cotton yarn. We shall see. I'm certainly not optimistic enough about it to make it my UFO for this month's UFO Resurrection - that honor goes to my Backyard Leaves Scarf.

Harrumph!

I'm the perfect example of the grumpy old man. I'm really good at it.
-Ned Beatty

There's only one way to describe my week - it's been very harrumph. That delightful husband o' mine had to leave for his 6 months of training in Pensacola, which is - you will note - not here. Harrumph. Work has been ridiculous, to the extent that when Friday was only a 12 hour day I really truely felt like I was leaving really early. Harrumph. And I've had almost no inspiration to knit or blog. Harrumph.

So today - because I'm really not a grumpy person and this is really not a grumpy blog - I'm making a list of the positive things.

1. My husband is driving cross-country with my dad. Hee hee hee.
2. The heat wave finally broke and it's lovely out today.
3. I can watch as much Grey's Anatomy as I want.
4. The Backyard Leaves scarf from Scarf Style. I started it a while ago, but now it's become the perfect not-quite-knitting. A scarf takes such minimal commitment to pick up and put down, and this one is just interesting enough. I'm making it in Merino Style, and it's lovely.
5. Not to mention the cuteness of the project bag I'm using. This used to be part of an LL Bean gift package that included pancake mix and blueberry syrup. Now it holds yarn - a good trade, no?
6. Christmas is coming. Not only does my husband get to come home, but he's been dropping lots of not-so-subtle hints about the sweaters he wants. How long does it take to make a tall man's sweater? Hmmmm . . . .