How I knit socks.

So, Camilla made a sly swipe at those of us who are still knitting socks in the dark ages, assuming that all dpn sock knitters are top-down sock knitters as well.

Well. ;o)



I hate sliding the circulars back and forth as I knit socks, but I hate the guessing game of trying to get every last inch of precious, expensive sock yarn turned into socks. So, I knit toe up with dpn's. (So does Amy King, btw.) And yes, that's the Crystal Palace Panda Wool reincarnated as toe-up socks, using the pattern from the latest IK. It's just as fun to knit the second time as it was the first. :o)

Knitting Culture - What a kick!

Well, Knitting Culture seems to be getting off to a good start. I don't have landslide numbers yet, but the ranking numbers have been steadily increasing. I'm trying to ignore the sneaking suspicion that there are a whole lot of dead lenses over at Squidoo, and just be thrilled that Knitting Culture is #143 in DIY & Hobbies, and #3,052 out of 153,497. (That's up from #151,543 a week ago.)

Not too shabby, eh?

So, if you haven't been to Knitting Culture yet, please do drop by. Stick a link in the "Reports from the Field" plexo, and leave a knitterly entry in the guestbook. I'm working on some additional modules for other facets of being a Knitter, but all will be revealed in good time.

Public Service Announcement: Yarn Harlot MA date change

Just doing my little bit to get the word out. CCR in MA of Knit Read Cats Hockey has learned from her local Borders store that Stephanie's visit there has been moved from the July 12th to August 2nd. You can read all about it here.

Alas, I won't be going (living on the opposite side of the country as I do), but if you're in the neighborhood and would like to go, I'd suggest calling the Borders over there in Burlington and putting yourself on the guestlist. They're only letting 300 people in the store, and if you're not on the list, I'm afraid you'll be out of luck. (I wonder if the local fire marshal has anything to do with that number?)

So far, I've had a good weekend (all things considered). Hope you're all doing just as well! (Especially you, Camilla. Better get in the good times before Monday, right? I'll be sending lots of calming, steady vibes your way.)

Friday: State of the WIP Address

Well, for some reason I like to take an accounting of what has been happening in my knitting world on Friday. Instead of fighting that urge, and trying to move it to Wednesday* to follow the knitblogging tradition of WIP Wednesday I'll just go with it.

*Trying to move urges has never been a good idea for me--anybody out there had real success in transferring urges to a predetermined schedule?**

**Many thanks to CCR in MA for the convention of italicized notes that are too big for a parenthetical insertion in blog text, but nonetheless need to be said. ;o)

So, here are a few shots of things I've had in progress lately.

First, the Forest Canopy Shawl:



Remember, this is Shadow laceweight from Knit Picks, and that's a 14" pillow it's sitting on. So, while it might not look like much from here, there are approximately 151 stitches on the needle, and this sucker is really going to expand when blocked. I'm really excited to see what it looks like when it's all done and washed. Here's a gratuitous shot of the pattern close up. You can see how dense the stitches are right now. You can see the yo's along the top there at the bottom left, and the diagonal row of center stitches traveling up to the right. (Btw, I really do love the line of twisted stitches in the middle. I'm curious to see what happens to them when blocked.)



And, in case you're wondering what happened to the alpaca version of the FCSS, here's it's latest progress shot:



Yep. Frogged. Completely. I was working on it one night, and after painstakingly tinking back several times, I was knitting along and noticed, about halfway down the 4" or so of shawl I had done, a dropped stitch. As I watched, that slippery alpaca laceweight proceeded to run a few more rows down, and its fate was sealed. Word of warning to all future projects: Don't mess with me, especially when I've been pouring time and attention on you. I don't take lip from inanimate objects.

I may try doing something smaller with this, held double (or maybe I'll overtwist the yarn and then ply two strands together--anyone out there wiser than I am who thinks that's a bad idea?). I have a little niece due in just over two weeks, and Knitting Daily's Lace Vine baby hat would be really pretty in this. (The pic on the homepage is in black--not a good choice to show off the pattern, but if you subscribe, you'll be able to see the photo in the pattern, which is in a pretty pink.)

So, marching onward, here are two more WIP's.

Mama socks in KP Dancing.




These have been languishing on the needles for almost six months now. I've lost the Dancing love, and I'm planning on frogging this and turning the two skeins of Dancing into matching socks for DD1 & DD2. DD1's feet are getting kinda large, (well, she's 5 1/2), but I should still be able to make her a really good pair of socks with plenty left over for the baby.

Next up, another mama sock in Panda Wool by Crystal Palace. Can I say that I really, Really Love this Yarn? Wool & bamboo together is a match made in heaven, imho. This has a gorgeous hand, and the colors are much better in real life. (The green isn't quite so yellow, and the blue is more purple. Blast that red filter they put in all terrestrial use digital cameras.)



I've been working slowly on this because I'm not sure just how long I can make the top without running out of yarn. Then, the obvious occurred to me. I can knit these toe-up. I've really enjoyed knitting this much of it (it has been narcolepsy control thus far, and yes, I do still deal with mild bouts of that from time to time--very embarrassing), and look forward to knitting another two socks, secure in the knowledge that I'll be able to use almost every last precious, expensive, soft inch of the yarn.

And now we have the red mystery thing-a-ma-jig. I'm still not telling what it is. Any guesses?



Light worsted hemp/wool yarn in Chili, knit on a us3 (first Knit Picks options, and now a Clover Takumi).

And, lest you think I'm normal or something, here's a new one:



I succumbed to weakness last Tuesday after my LYS's UFO night, and just bought a pattern for my v-neck pullover. I've been reading Knitting from the Top (Excellent book, btw. Should be required reading for all knitters) and was going to just wing it. But, I really like KPS's patterns, and the lure of a no-math, almost-instant gratification path to my pullover was too strong to bear. (And I'm a member of The Sisterhood, so I got 30% off. How could I resist? lol)

As an added bonus, my favorite stitch markers look really pretty with the yarn I'm using:



And lastly, what I wish I could be doing today . . .



Have a great weekend, everyone!

Incredibly cool -- Andy Shelton

So, I've been hearing some tracks from this album called "Shelton" on an internet radio station I listen to. There's one that really caught my ear, called 8th Avenue. You can listen to the whole thing here. (I love it when artists stream their entire songs, so you can actually know if you like them or not. The 30-second previews are only good if you're trying to identify a song you've already heard.)

He made his way down 8th Avenue
With all the same buildings and faces he knew
Stepped to the side where he always sits down
Opened up his case, the city goes out around

And there he plays
Throw him a dime, he will sing you the ryhmes
Of a song that he made
About his life on a street where...

It's all the same
La da dee day
It's all the same

Now he has visions that lift him off his feet
Of playing great big shows up on Market Street
But just as he dreams up the screaming crowd
He wakes up on 8th Avenue and sits back down

And there he plays
But there's no one around now to hear the sound
Of a song that he made
About his life on a street where...

It's all the same
La da dee day
But everything's about to change

He played his last song that afternoon
To a rock, a crack in the sidewalk, and a bird he knew
Then mentioned something about being late
He took bow and said: "Thanks, you've all been great."

"But I can't stay."
"I hope you don't mind but I have arranged that a cold wind take my place."
And now 8th Avenue has never been the same.

La da dee day


The lyrics are good, just taking them on their own. (And I studied this stuff in my University days, so I do have some idea of that of which I speak. ;o) But you've got to hear this one. It's good music, and makes you think. Stylistically, it reminds me a little of Harry Connick Jr., but easier to listen to. (I can only take so much Harry, he's so, um, improvisational.) You can even buy it by itself, if you don't fall in love with the other stuff he has done before you can click the "buy" link. ;o)

So, go listen to some Shelton. I'm going to to take the munchkins & DH, grab some Subway, and have a picnic somewhere in this summery weather.

Some nifty handspun.

I have three skeins, and they aren't a matched set. Compliment each other nicely, yes. Match, no way. I've been trying to figure out what to do with them, but haven't come up with much yet. The darker skeined one is spun in the grease, and has a wonderful lanolin smell. The photos don't do them justice, really. The camera has a hard time picking up both the dark & light fibers and doing them justice side-by-side. Just try to use your imagination, if you would. ;o)

I bought these quite a while ago, sight-unseen. I know now that the spinning isn't the best, but I haven't tried washing them or setting the twist. I'm hoping that will help, and make them easier to work with. I still like them more than I probably should, though. ;o)

When I first received this, I wound the last ball and tried knitting a Warm Heart Woolies soaker with it, but didn't get very far. The over-twisted sections were just too hard to manage, and the variations in thickness and really dense nature of the yarn made for a fairly unyielding fabric. Not a good thing for sensitive baby skin.

Anyway, here 'tis. Any ideas, anyone?



This first photo is pretty close to real. The light fibers aren't quite that bright.



This one is the closest to reality of the lot.



(This one is a lot darker, and more chocolate-y.)

Have a great Thursday!

Representers, Unite!

After reading Stephanie's account of her hometown hurrah, I decided enough was enough. No more morning-after apologies from bookstore managers who didn't have a clue. I've built a web page at Squidoo called Knitting Culture. The vision is that other knit bloggers will take advantage of the wiki-type features Squidoo has (called Plexoes, or Plexo singularly) to add links to their own blog entries about attending one of the Yarn Harlot's appearances*, or photos from their Flickr accounts, or links to other sites pertinent to the Knitters of Today and how great, good, and awesome a force they are. I have a vauge idea of adding more plexoes for more topics, like the phenomena of Stash and Knitterly Goodness, but those are still in the formative stages. There is a guestbook where you can leave helpful suggestions, constructive comments or lavish praise, if you feel so inclined. ;o) (Read: Pretty, pretty please, trying not to beg, wouldn't you take a minute to go see?)

So, long post short, go check out Knitting Culture, and let me know what you think!


* Somehow I'm sure that she'd laugh at my use of that word, and insist that she's just a regular person like anybody else. Except for one thing: she's extraordinary.

And the winner is . . .

Two people.

The person who submitted the winning name was Sarah. (Who I must admit is my SIL--and a good friend. Isn't it great when those two things coincide?). But, as Sarah doesn't knit (yet), and I'm not the sort to endorse nepotism (for a multitude of reasons), I opted to award the yarn to the first runner-up, which was Julia of Knitting History. She suggested Scheherezade, "after the legendary Persian queen who told the tales of the 'Thousand and One Nights'." The romanticism surrounding that name had a very strong pull. :o) So, Julia, if you'd let me know where you'd like your prize sent, I'll get it on it's way first thing when the mailman comes round again.

I really appreciate all of the suggestions, and it was fun to see what they all were. I'll post a full list soon . . . I'm just covered with dirt from yardwork outside, and I'm not nearly done yet. I just figured that I had better not leave you all in suspense for much longer. ;o) The name I chose is one that kept popping into my mind as I read all of the other suggestions. While it isn't quite as flowery as I had thought I wanted, it just fits so very well.

Oh, what's the name, you say?

Well, I'd like to introduce you to . . .



Cadence.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Photo Friday

Someday I'll remember to submit a link to the Eye Candy Friday thing-a-ma-jig, but for now I'll just run my own Photo Friday.

First, a gratuitous cat photo.



And next, look!, an actual Finished Object. (Two, even!)



Knit Picks "Simple Stripes" sock yarn (he loves the colors, and I could barely tolerate them, lol).
Crystal Palace 2mm dpn's.
Pattern: I made it up as I went along, and learned tons. 56 stitches, 2x2 ribbing, short row heel, standard toe (with late, sharp decreases to fit his little square feet ;o).

And a few from the yard:



The "Not President Grevy" lilac smells heavenly.



Serendipity. I couldn't have planned this combination, but I love it. The photo could be better, sure. But the foliage contrast, and the chives blossoms against the burning bush's new chartreuse leaves, make me smile.



And sea thrift, doing it's level best to make up for the tardiness of everything else in the yard to bloom.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Off my Game

Sorry for the silence yesterday, after alluding to making an appearance in Monday's post. Yesterday started out so very well, with exuberant sunshine and taking pictures outside, clean laundry put away, seeing the floor in the laundry room, and so on. Breakfast was done and cleaned up, kids dressed & playing nicely, laundry apparatus humming away, and it was only 10:30. I sat down, fired Blogger up and stretched my fingers over the keyboard.

The phone rang.

The 3 year old answered, and brought me the phone.

It was a call from the secretary of the children's program at church, wondering if I was planning on appearing at the meeting that began at 10. Oops. (I've just had this job for two weeks, and it still hasn't sunk in completely.) On the bright side, it only took 15 minutes to get out of the house and on the road, and I was there in 20. Only 50 minutes late. Doh.

From there on out, the day was pretty much shot. I managed to stick my foot in my mouth after the meeting and make someone Really. Mad. You know--so mad that when they look you in the eye, the rest of the room disappears, and all you see is their stare? Cried quietly most of the way home. (I have a tendency to do that when someone gets Really Mad at me, especially when I was only sharing something I had experienced. I'm not one to go for people or pick fights.) Managed to get a few more things done around the house, and get together a basic list for shopping night. (I go without the kids, pick up my mom, and we have a nice evening doing some basic shopping and spend a couple hours at the Stitchin' Sisters UFO night, gabbing and knitting, with an occasional, eensy weensy bit of stash enhancement.) Left an hour late for town (6:30 instead of 5:30), barely made it before one of my stops closed, went to Stitchin' Sisters, finished the shopping, and headed home at about 10:20pm. Two hours later than usual. Don't you hate it when your day starts out so very, very well, and then it ends so very, very poorly? So do I.

So, in leiu of something far more interesting, I leave you with a couple of photos that give my heart a warm glow. After yesterday, I need it.



Vanhouttei Spirea, about to bloom in my yard. Back when Vern and I were newlyweds, taking evening walks when I was expecting our first, we would walk through the old neighborhood in Springville where we lived, and look at all of the beautiful things blooming. There were cheery cherry trees with pink carnation blooms hanging like impossible petticoats. There were copper roses that bloomed bright yellow or intense red and yellow. Peonies, lilacs, and spireas, looking for all the world like white fountains frozen in time. I could just see the early Utah pioneers cutting branches of spirea to make bouquets for the May brides, and I've dreamed of having one of those beauties in my own yard for years. And now there's one, right outside my window, doing what spireas do, and making me smile a simple, silly, happy smile.



Hosta "June".



Lamium "White Nancy" with chocolate mint. Taking this photo made me feel a bit like Jane Brocket, but it didn't turn out as nicely as I imagined. I loved the smooth, round mint leaves and the lacy, detailed lamium growing together.



This is another dream come true--and it's almost bigger than life. The little bleeding heart I photoed a few weeks ago is now much larger than I am, and makes me so happy to see. I've never seen a plant grow so huge, so fast. It must like the eastern exposure and mostly-compost soil.

And lastly, the funniest thing I've seen in a long time:



Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone.

(And keep those name suggestion coming! There are still two more days in the contest.)