Tuesday, May 29, 2007

quick post

Just a quick note. I was just looking around the web, and came across this site. I thought the yarns were gorgeous! Motomo gallery . I am going to keep this place in mind for when I believe I deserve an extra special treat. Go look, it is beautiful stuff.

P2K

The weekend as a Single girl

My Memorial Day weekend was very nice. My husband was a total darling and took the 2 girls to his mother's house on Cape Cod. I think everyone was happy. I got to make a great dent in the house, as far as cleaning goes and the rest of my family got to frolic at the beach. It may seem like I missed out - but let me assure you, I didn't. I got to plant the garden (which always takes WAY longer then I think it will. ) I also got to get some really good cleaning done - again, it would not have sounded that exciting to a 25 year old me - but at 39 I thought it was FAB-U-LOUS!
My oldest daughter is in school with a set of twins who have 2 moms. My husband and I have become friends with them, and they took pity on me for being alone. (It was extremely sweet and totally not necessary) and so they invited me to their house after the twins went to bed - in order to continue the kid free weekend - and fed me lobster. It was terrific. I have to say - they LOVE my husband. I am very happy that they think he is sweet, but there really isn't much to say except for - yea, I know. All in all is was a very nice night, except for the fact that I really hadn't talked to anyone for 36 hours and I was a little rusty in the conversation department.
I didn't do any exciting knitting. Right now I am working on a cotton tank top (in a lovely eggplant color) that I started last September. I finished the back last year, and then it started getting cold, so I put it aside. This was a fabulous idea, because when I took it out 2 weeks ago to work on again, it was almost done. So I am not feeling badly about winter sweaters that I haven't finished, because I know that I will be ready to finish them when the weather cools.

P2K

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Eye Candy from the 80's

There was a thread on the knitlist a few weeks ago about when we started knitting. I have been knitting since I was about 12. Mostly self taught, but my mom paid for my yarn. Her belief was that if you were going to spend so much time on something, it should be of good quality. Fortunately (or unfortunately when I look at my Mastercard bill) I still subscribe to this philosophy. I started a bunch of sweaters, but never finished one until this grey one. The yarn is still really nice, I wish I knew what it was. The hot pink is mohair. I still wear it even though it screams Cyndi Lauper and Madonna in her "Like a Virgin" phase!


My other sweater that is still in the rotation from this era is this one:
I wore it for the first time in years, just the other day, and my coworker thought it screamed the '80's as well. I just think I had a thing for pink triangles! This one is made from a bumpy cotton and I remember the fuzz getting in my nose! After this sweater, I didn't knit in cotton again until about this year!

After these 2 sweaters, which took about a year each (I was in college at the time) I knit 4 more sweaters. 3 of which were for other people. I did that in about a 2 year period of time, and then I put down the needles in favor of needlepoint for about 10 years. This was also before kids, and I used to spend a lot of time playing Yahoo games. Now I knit about 10-20 hours a week. Especially while watching baseball!
Thanks for all of the previous comments. I can't tell you how great it is to know that people are out there!
P2K

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Meme

I found this over on Nicekerjac and I thought it might be fun.

Edit the list, bold for stuff you’ve done, italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you’re not planning on doing.

Afghan/Blanket
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knitAmerican/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Friday, May 18, 2007

Backs



I have finished 2 backs of sweaters recently. The Elite Inca Alpaca Diamond Fair Isle and then just a plain stockinette sweater made from Great Adoroindak "Nantucket" colorway.

The first takes some concentration, so I did the Nantucket sweater when I was really into the show that I was watching or at knitting group. The Alpaca sweater is my second fair isle project, and my first one in a couple of years. I'm enjoying it - especially the purl rows. I've been putting the secondary color around my neck and purling with my thumb. It is different, and gives my usual knitting muscles a rest.
I got the Alpaca when my husband had shoulder surgery. I got it from an LYS near the high school where I work, that I don't usually go into. The woman there can get a little bossy about knitting and projects, although she does have a decent selection. Anyway, the purchase of the yarn was definitely a stress reaction to my husband having to have surgery. She didn't have everything I needed in stock, so I had to order it. It came in a few days later (since Elite is located about 20 minutes from here) and the yarn store owner called to tell me it was in. My husband was totally doped up on percaset for his shoulder, and the woman was very surprised I got the message. I am sure she is still convinced that I live with a bum!
Backs of sweaters are interesting though - not by themselves, but I seem to have a hard time starting on the fronts of things!
My seniors (meaning all of my students) had their last day today, which is bitter sweet. They have been a really great group of kids. I teach AP Psychology and these kids were really brilliant.

Off to knit.

P2K

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

the Knitting Room

Yesterday I went to The Knitting Room in Arlington. I've been in there a bunch, and Jackie (I believe she is the owner) was fabulous, as always. She was great at recommending needles and yarn - based on my needs, and not just what she wanted to sell. And what really impressed me is that she took time with me to talk about knitting like I was an intelligent knitter. I'll admit I am not as talented nor as prolific as some, but I'm definitely a solid intermediate to advanced knitter (thinking that people like Brooklyn Tweed are Masters)It made me start thinking about LYS's.
First of all living where I do means that I have about 12 or more yarn stores that are within a 20 minute drive of my house. I am REALLY lucky. There are 2 that are about a mile away from me in opposite directions. The first is Island Yarn in Waltham. You wouldn't think it was much. Ruthie's shop (Island Yarn) is in The Colonial Plaza. A strip mall sporting a laundromat, a swap book shop and a hearing aid place in addition to a pizza place and tanning beds. You know the type of place. Island yarn is actually pretty nice. She has a huge assortment of stuff, and a great variety. I always say that Ruthie's is the place that I go, when I know exactly what I need. I usually buy a little more to support her, but I am not usually inspired by her stuff. The first LYS I talked about (Jackie's store) is inspiring. The other LYS near me is not worth a mention. I have heard more horror stories from beginning knitters that go in there. When we get a newbie, and they tell an awful story about these pushy store owners we all say was it _____ and it always is.

Rain out tonight, but that is o.k. - I needed to make up the final exam for my seniors! Summer vacation is coming!

P2K

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Happy Mother's day

I realize it has been a while since I have written. We had to get a new computer, because our old one just basically died! Now we are in the process of trying to get everything on the new one, and it seems like this will take a LONG time. I am happy that this computer has so much space, but boy - what a pain!




I have been making progress on my dollar and a half sweater


which is actually a lot bigger now then when I took this picture. It has been going well, but I am having difficulty with the selvage edge, so I am keeping up with the lace, but not exactly as written.


I also finished my first sock in Socks that Rock (Fire on the Mountain), but when I put it on, it didn't fit right. It is in sport weight on 4's and I think I am going to rip it all out and make it into a hat and mittens for my daughter who is one.

P2K