Knitting Underway

Where I've Been; Where I'm Going

2009-11-01T15:17:00.000-08:00

When you love someone, all your saved-up wishes start coming out.

- Elizabeth Bowen

And I meant to post sometime in July . . . So where have I been?

Working, of course. Loving having my husband home. And doing a little creating here and there.

Knitting

Debbie Bliss' Alphabet Blanket, which was vastly entertaining and far less painful than I had feared.

The Heirloom Baby Aran from an old IK - they weren't kidding about the "heirloom" part - this one took forever.

A little stashbusting in garter stitch.

And I didn't just stop there:
Lots of little sweaters, hats, and even a pair of booties.

Sewing

Blankets, complete with (fairly) straight seams and not-too-bad-for-a-total-beginner machine applique.
Flannel burp clothes (and getting this adorable doctor one from a friend).

Noticing a theme here? Because here's the big project:

Growing a Baby

A baby boy due January 29th! He's already the world's most adorable baby/soccer star, and we couldn't be more excited. And distracted. And terrified. And exhilarated.

So it's probably no surprise that all my crafting energies have turned to wee small things. And the rest of my time is spent researching car seats, cribs, and the like. Blogging is just not in the picture for me anymore, although I'm enjoying keeping up with all your blogs in my feed reader. I've loved sharing our knitting and our lives over the past few years, so thanks for that, and thanks for your good wishes as we move on into this next wonderful phase of our lives.

A baby will make love stronger,

days shorter, nights longer,

bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier,

the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.

- Proverbial

Nope, Not Dead Yet

2009-07-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

For most folks, no news is good news;
for the press, good news is no news.
-Gloria Berger

I logged into my blog email account tonight for the first time in about 2 months, only to find out that a number of people think that there must be something dramatically bad for me to drop off the face of the (blogging) world.

All evidence to the contrary. Life has been so good, and full, that blogging has just taken a (distant) back seat. I'll have a longer post later this week, but in the meantime, here are the recent highlights:

1. My husband returned home from Iraq, safe, sound, and thrilled to be back.
2. Weekend trip to Catalina.
3. My orders changed.
4. Realized that grocery shopping is much more involved when there's a husband around.
5. Had houseguests 3/5 weekends.
6. Graduated from residency.
7. Started my new job as an attending in the Internal Medicine clinic at the hospital, which is good, but busy.
8. Gave my husband his second anniversary cotton sweater.
9. Studying for my boards.
10. Knitting, some.

I have a longer post planned for later this week, but I wanted to let folks know that life is good. I may not be returning to blogging in any serious way, but we'll wait 'til things calm down a little to determine that.

To Buy or Not to Buy . . .

2009-04-02T11:21:00.000-07:00

I generally avoid temptation unless I can avoid it.

-Mae West

Yes, I did disappear to be completely engulfed in the Internal Medicine wards for 2 weeks. Why do you ask? The good news is legion, however.

1. I am done being the duty ward resident. Done. Wow!
2. No more tire blow-outs.
3. Flowers are blooming everywhere.
4. I am immune to typhoid. Again. It never fails that every time I open my medical record, I am somehow due for one more vaccine. Love those shots!

Also in the good news category filed under "knitting" is a great deal of progress on several sweaters, and some upcoming sleeve surgery on my almost-done Fair Isle Yoke Sweater. Photos to follow, now that my busy Radiology schedule will allow me to take some daytime shots.

So, now I'm torn. Deeply torn. Wrestling with my inner angels and devils as well as any number of other miscellaneous demons. You all know that I have a bit of yarn at home. As of April 1, we're at approximately 504 skeins comprising 87,500+ yards of yarn. This is a significant reduction from prior, and the goal is still to get the stash a bit smaller, say to the 60,000 yd range.

But (there's always a but . . .) it's the Webs tent sale. On sale at very very good prices are Cascade 220, Jo Sharp Soho Summer DK Cotton as I recently used to very good effect in the cotton anniversary sweater, and Berocco Peruvia.

Let's ponder.

On the one hand . . . I have a queue full of projects for which I already have the yarn.
On the other hand . . . That same queue has many projects requiring yarns I do not have, that are on sale.
On the one hand . . . I'd like the stash to fit into a smaller space.
On the other hand . . . Yarn is squishy.
On the one hand . . . I could knit for a year without spending any more money.
On the other hand . . . I can get these yarns at close to 1/2 price, and I'll use them eventually.
On the one hand . . . These are great yarns.
On the other hand . . . Yup, definitely great yarns at a great price.
On the one hand . . . They'll probably go on sale again at some point.
On the other hand . . . That's never when I feel the urge to start the project.
On the one hand . . . I really do need a grey sweater. Cassidy, maybe? And the husband is thinking he wants a burgundy sweater, or maybe charcoal gray, and one in cotton, and one in wool . . . gosh he's demanding!
On the other hand . . . I've forgotten which hand is which . . .

Pluses and Minuses

2009-03-21T18:01:00.000-07:00

Never awake me when you have good news to announce,
because with good news nothing presses;
but when you have bad news, arouse me immediately,
for then there is not an instant to be lost.
-Napoleon Bonaparte

Sometimes I love being an adult. Sometimes not. There are pluses and minuses. And I'm a bad-news first kind of gal.

Minus: A tire blowout on the I-5 on my way to work.
Plus: I didn't die, cause a 5-car pile up, or get held up at gunpoint while getting my Starbucks . . . or any of the rumors my friends spread after I called them to cover my ward team while I waited for the tow truck.
Minus: Tires are expensive.
Plus: They really had my interns believing that I threw coffee in the face of an armed Starbucks-robber.

Minus: A crazy-busy week at work.
Plus: Being a doctor. Only three more months of residency.
Minus: Which means new orders (see below).
Plus: I saw a patient in clinic this week whom I've been following for just about 2 years, since the end of my intern year. I called a consultant for her, and as she left she commented on how wonderful it has been to watch me "grow up" and become such a confident physician.

Minus: Getting orders to a Marine unit.
Plus: Co-location with my husband. All those 96-hour weekends the Marines like to take.
Minus: Wearing camouflage.
Plus: I joined the Navy so that I'll have something to talk about when I'm 80 (you know, since I've spent my 20s talking about knitting). The Marines always give you something to talk about!

Plus: Being married. Definitely the biggest plus to being all grown-up. It's no secret that I adore my husband. And he sends me flowers. To match my camouflage.

Blue and Pink

2009-03-18T14:35:00.000-07:00

Observe the space between your thoughts, then observe your observer.

-Hamilton Boudreaux

Today's a two-fer, to make up for the posting I didn't do last week . . .

I find baby sweaters to be a crucial part of stash busting - perfect for all those 2 and 3 skein lots left over from other projects, or otherwise hanging out in the stash. And then you have the perfect gift ready for any baby-giving occasion.

Ribbed Baby Jacket
Pattern: from Debbie Bliss, available many places
Yarn: Lionbrand Cotton Ease in the old put up, approx 2 skeins
Needles: US 8
Notes: Unusual construction, but not difficult. My gauge was off so I used the numbers from the 2nd smallest size and the measurements from the 2nd largest.
Best Thing About This Project: I just love that ribbing.

Premiere Sweater
Pattern: from a free Classic Elite newsletter bouncing around
Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Victorian Pink, approx 1.75 skeins
Needles: US 6
Notes: I accidentally forgot to increase needle sizes after the seed stitch on the sleeves. It looks fine.
Best Thing About This Project: A perfect paring of yarn and pattern.

I'm in for a long night of board review classes tonight. Which means quality knitting time! I'm almost to the good part of a Fair Isle Yoke Cardigan (i.e. the fair isle yoke part) after getting inspired by Jessica's here. Stockinette stitch here I come!

The Staff of Life

2009-03-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

Imagine if every Thursday your shoes exploded if you tied them the usual way. \

This happens to us all the time with computers, and nobody thinks of complaining.

-Jeff Raskin

Friendly reminder: Have you backed up your computer lately?

It's moved to the top of my to-do list after a bit of an operating system scare this weekend. Fortunately, the kind folks at the Apple Genius Bar were able to fix the software glitch (and for free!), but it did remind me of how much stuff only exists on one computer. . . . Not the least of which are many photos of knitted goods and my trusty yarn-stash spreadsheet.

At any rate, with my computer down for the count for a few days, you'd think I'd actually get some knitting done. And I did, but the photos still need to be uploaded.

While we wait, I want to refer you again to my new favorite cookbook. Complete with blog. Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day. It's amazing. Tasty. Great crust, nice soft insides. Good tasting. Easy. And really everything bread should be, but super speedy. Making this bread requires flour, water, yeast, and salt. It takes less time (and energy) than driving to the grocery store. And it tastes better.

Plus, the smell of baking bread really goes nicely with some knitting. Which is coming soon.

Why I Knit Socks

2009-03-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

It's no use going to the goat's house to look for wool.
-Irish Proverb

This is my sister, about 3 minutes after I gave her a new pair of socks. Specially requested to be like the last pair - that is, "too soft to be wool." (Thanks Judy!)

These are in Fiesta Baby Boom - a delightful squishy sock yarn that is definitely "too soft to be wool" and meet the demanding requirements of my sister that they be perfect for reading legal treatises in a drafty apartment.

And that, my friends, is why I knit socks. Keeping feet warm and comfy from Somewhere, Iraq to Philadelphia to San Diego.

Bondegard

2009-03-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

Being born in a duck yard does not matter,
if only you are hatched from a swan's egg.
-Hans Christian Anderson

Apparently, I like complicated things. Systems with a lot of rules, nuances, exceptions, and many, many layers. After twenty-something odd years, I finally learned this about myself from my husband; he noticed it almost immediately. While it probably explains a lot of life, from my chosen profession to my yarn spreadsheet to the long list of sales, coupon match-ups, and recipes I take to the grocery store, it also probably explains why I knit a baby sweater with fifteen colors.

You read that correctly - fifteen, one-five. Granted, many of those colors only required a few ounces of yarn, but it does take up a considerable amount of space in the stash. Regardless, whether it is because it is complicated or because it is just so dang cute, this may be my favorite baby sweater yet.

Bondegard
Pattern: from Dale of Norway's Soft Treasures for Little Ones (apparently OOP, but snatch up a copy if you can)
Yarn: Dale Baby Ull - why mess with their color sense? in the 15 colors as called for in the pattern
Needles: US 0 and 2
Notes: No changes to the pattern. I made the 24 month size - if I'm going to do all that work, I want the baby to get a lot of wear out of it!
Best Thing About This Project: After all that knitting, I'd hate to say the buttons. But look at the buttons!

I'm counting this sweater for NaKniSweMoDo (knit 12 sweaters in 12 months, in a mishmash of Latin and blog-speak). Technically, it's not an adult sweater. It is, however 28 inches around, knit on US2 needles, and contains 15 colors. It took probably two- or three-times as much knitting as my next NaKniSweMoDo sweater, Acer, which is also finished and will appear this week. And it involved steeks. Plus, it's just so cute!

Eye Candy Anyday

2009-03-03T15:10:00.000-08:00

Be like a duck. Calm on the surface,
but always paddling like the dickens underneath.
-Michael CaineJust because I'm not in the ICU all the time doesn't mean I'm not at work. Enjoy another teaser for the Bondegard sweater!

In Like a Lion, or a Lamb

2009-03-02T19:56:00.001-08:00

When you realize how perfect everything is
you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.
-Buddha

Sometimes it's great to live in Southern California. I know my mom is happy about her snow day today, but she did just get plane tickets to come see me. Probably for weekends like this. This weekend I had a brief respite from a crazy call schedule and actually got 2 whole days off. In a row. Imagine that! I spent the last day of February roller-blading around Mission Bay Park, which is pretty much straight out of a movie set. Wind in my hair, music in my iPod. Kites. Laughing children. Lots of palm trees.

I then spent the first day of March finishing my husband's cotton anniversary sweater and watching the end of Veronica Mars, Season 1 with my deployment buddy. (Teen girl noir, filmed in San Diego, what's not to love?) That was after a rather distressing attempt to buy cute sundresses for the coming home that's coming up. I know it's a recession and all, but by the time I haven't seen my husband for seven months, I'm really not wearing gray or black. I spend far too much time daydreaming about making the cover of Life magazine!

Regardless, March promises to be a good month. Out of the ICU onto the less-punishing call schedule of the wards, flowers blooming everywhere, and - not least of all - the end of the deployment is in sight. I don't mean soon, exactly, but at least in sight. (It's also classified, so you'll probably hear about it next when you see us looking really cute and happy on the cover of life magazine. Right after the Obamas get a Portugese Water Dog like my parents' dog.)

I did a great deal of knitting this weekend, and I have a whole bunch of stockinette stitch hanging out, courtesy of the ICU. I've also been a bit lax in my blogging habit, so I'm going to get back on an even-day blogging schedule. Consider today a bit of a catch up, and a sneak peak:

Seaming of the anniversary sweater:The beginnings of Laila's Stockings in a delightful blue and gold:
Finally done with Bondegard, featuring the world's most adorable buttons: Stay tuned for a veritable parade of FOs and WIPs.

All Those Smiles

2009-02-18T20:20:00.001-08:00

Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.
-Thich Nhat Hahn

It feels like I'm blogging more than I am. What happens is that every other time I go to work, I stay overnight for 30 hours. So what is really two days, feels like one. I finally had a somewhat-less-than-completely-crazy call night last night, which means that this afternoon post-call I was able to do useful things. Like go to the gym, read a delightfully trashy novel, and wind yarn.

I really do have a big NaKniSweMoDo post half-written to fill you in on all the sweaters I'm making. So many that I ran out of baskets to hold my Works-In-Progress and discovered that one of my many, many tote bags is actually perfect, and even color-coordinated.

But as I ramble, I know you all want to know who got lucky and won the yarn. Since my Peace Fleece good fortune was random, I went to the random number generator at random.org. Good fortune knows no boundaries.

The winner of the Briggs and Little was Cheryl:

Cheryl said...: Something that made me smile and laugh was the Valentine's card that I got from someone who I work with.It's the little day to day kindnesses and shared experiences along the way that mean the most to building friendships. And laughter, which I did when I first read the envelope.It did not have my name on it, it said, PUT THE KNITTING NEEDLES DOWN!!!!! Now, this is a friendship I hope will last a long time. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL.

And the winner of the Peace Fleece is KC.

KC said...

African violets made me smile.
My boyfriend loves African violets so I got him one last year for Valentines Day. Over the summer I rooted several cuttings so we now have them all over the house. This year for Valentines Day he took me to a garden center and we got three more so we can fill our house with color and little symbols of love. I smile every time I see one.

Aren't they lovely stories? Thanks to everyone for sharing their happy thoughts last week.

The winners should email me at knittingunderway AT gmail DOT com so we can work out minor details like mailing addresses, and Peace Fleece selections.

Smile, and Pass It On

2009-02-11T13:36:00.000-08:00

If you only have one smile in you, give it to the people you love.

Don't be surly at home, then go out in the street

and start grinning 'Good morning' at total strangers.
-Maya Angelou

Thank you for all the lovely comments on my new sweater. I keep meaning to post in more detail about my grand plans for NaKniSweMoDo, with sweaters #2 and possibly #3 nearing completion, and #4 just started (and having bought yarn for #5 and #6, of course), but I'm spending all my days and 1/3 of my nights in the ICU. Which can be surprisingly good for sweater knitting as I wait and watch. But I digress. I'm loving my new sweater, and the fact that this week it's been a delightfully cool 50s and rainy.

I mentioned in my last post that I thought making two sweaters in the same brilliant peacock blue (as gorgeous as it is) at the same time was overkill. So I cast about for a new yarn for Acer, and settled on Peace Fleece. It's the original, called-for yarn. It's reportedly soft and wooly. And I like the company - no one loves peace more than those of us in the military.

It came quickly, within a week or so. And it was as perfectly, delightfully, soft and wooly as I had hoped. I went with pink, for variety.

Inside was a delightful surprise:

You probably can't read that, but apparently my order was selected during their Tuesday staff meeting as the "Smile" order - it was sent free of charge. I say again, free. No charge for the yarn. No charge for shipping. Completely free.

I was amazed. Astounded. Tickled pink, if you excuse the pun.

So tickled pink, in fact, that I feel compelled to pass on this smile. . . . and, er, try to do some stash compensating at the same time. Ironically, a company like Peace Fleece that I feel good about patronizing, sent me my money back. So, let's try to send them more, shall we?

Comment on this post, and tell us something that made you smile today. The random-number generator and I will send you the sweater-quantity of Peace Fleece in the color of your choice. That way I can support a company I like, and not add to the stash.

In order to even out the stash a bit, and to add to the fun, here are five skeins - karmically, the same number as my Peace Fleece - of Briggs and Little 4-ply in a gorgeous charcoal gray that I bought on the way to PEI on a memorable yarn-shopping vacation a few years ago. The stash is getting upset that this lovely yarn sits unused in San Diego, so I will happily send it to yours full of the good memories of times when I lived in places where wooliness was so desirable.

Contest closes at midnight PDT on Sunday February 15, 2009. If your stash is as crushingly-huge as mine and you want no more yarn, feel free to mention that in your comment, but tell us something happy anyway.

One Down

2009-02-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

You have to walk carefully in the beginning of love;
the running across fields into your lover's arms
can only come later when you're sure they won't laugh if you trip.
-Jonathan Carroll

Since my regular photographer is off serving our country, making the world safe for democracy, and getting himself rather beat up for the sake of wearing a different color belt (boys will be boys), I had to take my own finished object photos. (Do note the quotation above; taking my own photos here is akin to tripping.)

I tried . . . In spite of my bad hair day . . . Outdoors, indoors . . . Left, right, center . . . And then I called it good enough for a photo montage.Hopefully you can get a vague idea of just how great this sweater is.

Cable Down Raglan
Pattern: Stephanie Japel from Interweave Knits, best of, among others
Yarn: mystery wool bought off eBay circa 2001 - I believe this might be my oldest stash yarn!
Needles: US 7
Notes: Great pattern, fun to knit top down. No mods - just kept trying it on!
Best Thing About This Project: It's a toss-up between finally putting this albatross of the stash has been put to good use, and finally buying a scale to measure my yarn.

In fact, I was so happy with this, my first finished sweater of NaKniSweMoDo, that I immediately cast about on the interwebs for my next projects. I fell in love with Acer after seeing Margene's version and Sarah's version on the same day. So I bought some Beaverslide. Always wanted to try that. Then I saw that Fiddlesticks Knitting (some of my favorite Canadians) was having a special offer to celebrate the Blooming Cardigan on the cover of IK. Of course I had to celebrate with them. But then they arrived, and I immediately saw the problem: Am I predictable, or what? These colors are just a little too close. So I bought some Peace Fleece. And that's a story for another day . . . Stay tuned for a big give-away this week!

It's About Time

2009-01-28T20:25:00.000-08:00

If you're walking down the right path
and you're willing to keep walking,
eventually you'll make progress.
-Barack Obama

I started 2009 in a flurry of good intentions, cast-on projects, and grand proclamations to knit, knit, knit. Twelve sweaters. 100 balls of yarn. Massive stash reduction.

So it's about time that I finished my first project of the month:
This is probably the worst possible photo of a gorgeous pair of socks - the Artichoke Socks in a gorgeous semi-solid Koigu. Stunning. And the first two balls of yarn knit in 2009. . . only 98 to go!

I find myself in the midst of a great many large projects, including a husband sweater in cotton. The Cable Down Raglan is rapidly nearing completion. Which will be the first sweater of NaKniSweMoDo, but only a single ball of yarn. So it goes . . .
In other promising news, my bread-baking life has been revolutionized thanks to a Christmas gift of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.
Try it - it's amazing! And for all it's speediness, it's probably not the reason my productivity has been down, right?

Hope

2009-01-20T19:02:00.000-08:00

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
-Albert Einstein

I know my blogging has been sporadic lately. I've been more than busy at work; I've been . . . immersed. Occupied. Mentally engaged. And I've been thinking a lot about hope.

The best and worst parts of medicine tend to be the same. I am up close and personal with people and their families when they are ill. Much of the time, I deal with chronic illnesses, with managing things that will play out over one, five, twenty years. In the hospital, I admit young patients whose illness is a brief detour in their normal life, or older patients who seem to spend more time in the hospital than outside of it. It gets routine; until it doesn't.

Last week was, for my patient and his wife, the absolute worst week of their entire lives. A healthy and vigorous man in the prime of (retired) life, and some minor symptoms, minor blood work abnormalities, and then every day the news was worse. Ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, biopsy, PET scan, and three emergency procedures scattered throughout, and a healthy man learned that he has months to live. The medical folks out there know that none of this is particularly unusual, per se. What was unusual was how they approached it. What was unusual was the hope.
Hope must be the only word for it, I realized days later when I couldn't stop thinking about this patient. From that first moment when I told him that we needed to run more tests because it might be cancer to that last day when we told him that the cancer was uncurable, he looked me straight in the eye and thanked me. He was kind to the doctors, the nurses, and the cleaning staff. He was gracious in the midst of excruciating pain. When he went home to get his affairs in order, he cried, hugged me, and thanked me for being upfront with him. And all throughout, he asked all the hard questions, weighed all the options, and held hands with his wife. None of the options were good ones, and yet he radiates hope.

Hope is not what we have when times are good and the going is easy; hope is what we have in the face of unsurmountable odds, when life is hard, and when none of the options seem ideal. Hope is based firmly in reality, in knowing just how bad things may be and yet still believing that there is a best.

On Inauguration Day in these challenging days, I keep thinking about my patient and his sustaining, irrepressible hope. In the midst of my rounds today, I walked past many TVs and heard snippets of the calm and steady voice of our new president as he addressed the nation. I rounded on an elderly woman who doesn't know where she is, or why, but when we asked her what today was she cheered "Yay Obama." Because Hope can permeate any hardship. My patients - and that one patient in particular - are teaching me that Hope has so many more faces than I ever thought possible.

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
-President Obama's Inaugural Address

What Do Your Sweaters Say?

2009-01-15T19:27:00.000-08:00

To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.
-John Henry Newman

I'm in. NaKniSweMoDo (National Knit a Sweater Month Dodecathalon) here I come!

I do well with goals, after all . . . and I've been planning all week. Between my actual day (and night) job, that is. It's been busy - more on that later. But before I dig deep and put all my big January goals and plans out there on the forefront, let me show you why I'm so inspired.

You may recall the saga of the Second Anniversary Sweater. I finally got my colors and cast on. But then it sat there . And sat there. And sat there. I just wasn't inspired. It was hard on my hands, a non-intuitive cable pattern, and too bulky. It didn't say anything approaching "Happy Anniversary."

So then I cast around and reconsidered. And I realized that my previous objections to the Anniversary Sweater were not insurmountable. I know how to add a sleeve cap. I have a measuring tape (it needs to be longer). And I do, in fact, have the perfect yarn in my stash.
Isn't this a perfect fabric? (The color is more of a darker, true navy.) Doesn't it make your heart sing? Doesn't it say "I love you so much I knit an entire ribbed/cabled sweater in cotton on size 6 needles?"

Too bad I had to order another 5 balls of off-white yarn for the contrasting stripe . . .

Indecision

2009-01-11T19:05:00.000-08:00

The more alternatives, the more difficult the choice.
- Abbe D'Allaniva

I had big plans to make 2009 a year of knitting by whim - whatever, whenever, just meandering my way through the stash. You know, rather than imposing rules on myself. Knitting is a hobby, after all. But it's not going as well as I would have hoped. I did finish one of the Artichoke Socks, and I'm happy to report that it went quite well. But when does Koigu go wrong? And then I spent almost all of a day off trying to decide what to knit next. I pulled out all sorts of yarn, and made the sort of crafty mess that one can when one's husband is away. I contemplated this Lopi. Two shades of pink, bought for a steal a number of years ago. Felted clogs? Or should I buy 12 more skeins of yarn to make Veronik Avery's Ski Jacket? If I were just trying to reduce the stash, and if I paid close attention to the state of my three-year-old felted clogs, the choice would be clear. But my lack of direction is enormously distressing to me. I need . . . something.

NaKniSweMoDo? It's seriously calling my name, although I might consider that my Dale baby sweater (2 yr old size) has more stitches than many adult sweaters and might count. I'm still pondering . . .

In the meantime, to help me ponder, I dug deep in the stash and pulled out a random worsted weight wool that I bought on Ebay back when I was in college and didn't know any better. It's a nice lavender color, and I think there's about one pound? But I really can't remember much. So, perhaps 1000 yards? If it is that, it should be enough for the Cable-Down Raglan. Just in case, I cast on. Although I'm not usually a fan of the top-down one-piece raglan, in this case it's working. My gauge is a little looser than the pattern, but knitting a size down it fits well at the sleeve division. And now I'm going to go knit as fast as I can to see if I run out of yarn. I'm not the only one who does this, am I?

The Truth Comes Out

2009-01-05T12:36:00.000-08:00

Life is like eating artichokes,
you have to go through so much to get so little.
- Thomas A. Dorgan

I hate twisted stitches. There. I said it. So sue me.

I had all sorts of good intentions for my one scheduled/planned knitting of 2009 - the Personal Sock of the Month Club. And then I pulled out the bag with this lovely jeweled green Koigu that I had earmarked for the Snicket pattern. Which is a lot of twisted stitches on a purl background.

After forcing the interns and anyone else who happened to be on call last night to look, we all agreed that the right side of the project was not nearly so attractive as the wrong side. So I set about on my Ravelry queue looking for a stockinette based sock pattern.

Maybe it's the green, but I just had to start the Artichoke Socks. And they got twice as far in half the time. No twisted stitches here!

A Sneak Peek

2009-01-02T14:57:00.000-08:00

Listen to the musn'ts child,
Listen to the don'ts
Listen to the shouldn'ts
The impossible, the won'ts
Listen to the never haves
Then listen close to me-
Anything can happen, child
Anything can be.
-Shel Silverstein

Since I keep talking about them so much (and since I'm on call today), I thought I'd pop in with just a little sneak peek of my latest Dale sweater:Bondegard from Baby Knits from Dale of Norway. I still have to add the duplicate stitch for the eyes and the beaks. And, of course, block. But, really, how cute is that?

A Whole New Year

2009-01-01T15:54:00.000-08:00

I drink to the days that are.
-William Morris

I did it! Here's The State of the Stash:

December 31, 2008
Skeins: 499.75
Yards: 86,124

If we recall, my goal was to get under 500 skeins, and under 100,000 yards. I squeaked by, barely. But I also bought quite a bit of yarn this year, including the many skeins for two adult and one baby Dale sweater, and, uh other various yarns. Including these:Enter A Time Warp Phenomenon. Because if that was my stash at 23:59:59 on December 31, 2008, how is this my stash on January 1, 2009 at 24:00:01?

January 1, 2009
Skeins: 515.75
Yards: 92,269

That mass of lovely sock yarn I bought on a great Ravelry destash sale. 17 skeins of lovely yarn for about $100. You would have, too. So I used a little creative accounting and a stuck it in the stash on a time warp phenomenon.

So now that we've faced up to it all . . . where are we going this year?

Knit 100 skeins
Reduce the stash by 1/3 (30,756 yds)

The 100 skeins are easy. I knit much more than that this past year. And I did reduce my stash - barely. Because I kept buying more yarn, although mostly for specific projects. The Dales need what they need.

The 30,000+ yds? A little more difficult. Because this is net negative 30,000 yds in spite of any purchases for, you know, Dale sweaters. But I don't have to knit down all of this, because destashing will count. This will get me much closer to my imagined, presumed, sort of what I think is my "happy stash place." I'm guessing I'd like to have about 50,000 yds on hand. I want the ability to start pretty much any project I want at 2am, but the ability also to go and buy yarn for any reason at any time.

How does that sound? Would it sound even better if I told you that I already ordered the stockings from Judy's Colors? The Christmas spirit and all.

Goodbye, Hello

2008-12-31T12:08:00.000-08:00

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors,
and let each new year find you a better man.
-Benjamin Franklin

One might think that with the last twelve hours of 2008 at my disposal, I would have some deep and profound thoughts. I don't have many. The past year has been a good one personally, professionally, and certainly knitterly.
I tried to count the finished projects of 2008 for a year-end wrap up, but I lost track after 100. The year in my mind seems full of snapshots, so I'll share some of my favorites.

As my sister says, it's not every year you get to marry your husband all over again.There's nothing cuter than a baby in handknits.I discovered just how much I love stranded colorwork knitting, no matter how little it suits my current climate. I also discovered what a grateful recipient my husband is.I made two adult Dale sweaters this year (yes, I know you're still waiting for good photos of my Park City), and in the process discovered that this is my favorite thing to knit. Expect to see much more in 2009.

I have plans for the coming year, not so much resolutions. As I tell my patients, there's a difference between a goal and a plan. A goal is "Exercise more." A plan is "Lay out my gym clothes at night, set the alarm for 5:00, and go to the gym for 45 minutes before work." Plans have a way of making goals come true. And as 2009 is the year I will knit whatever I want to knit, when I want to knit it, expect a bit of a cast-on frenzy coming up.

After all, it's already 2009 in Iraq.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
-Alfred, Lord Tennyson

All Around the World

2008-12-25T07:32:00.000-08:00

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on Earth, good will to men!
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Christmas in Iraq, photos from my husband.

It's Christmastime

2008-12-18T11:37:00.000-08:00

From home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another
The warmth and joy of Christmas, brings us closer to each other.
-Emily Matthews

There's nothing like handmade for Christmas. I have all sorts of handknits winging themselves across the country - even the world! - but they're secret. Well, except for Kate D's. She opened her presents before Christmas. Go ahead and start the public shaming. So, since I can't show you any of the lovely things I've been making (shhhh!), let's all enjoy the table runner my mother-in-law made.

It's perfect for our dining room table. It has a lovely pieced top with Christmas fabrics, and check out the quilting.

Do you think she put hearts in the corners on purpose? I'm guessing so.

Now I need to pack. My flight for home leaves tomorrow night, and the weather report is calling for a high of about 43 degrees for the entire time I'll be there. So, which hats, scarves, mittens, gloves, and sweaters to take? Gosh, my life is hard!

My So-Called Something

2008-12-14T11:36:00.000-08:00

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?

Things I Love

2008-12-06T11:39:00.000-08:00

Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.
-Abraham Lincoln

Things I'm loving today:

My snazzy new haircut - no more buns!
Pedicures. Being able to wear flipflops to my pedicure in San Diego.
My sister calling me to inform me that she ONLY has four pairs of handknit socks.
Her favorite socks, by the way, are the Merino Lace socks made of Judy's hand-dyed sock yarn. The yarn gets a rousing endorsement for being "too soft to be wool." God bless Merino!
These Dale patterns I picked up at Velona Needleworks a few weeks ago. The middle two - St. Anton and Baby Trondheim - are the hard-to-find ones.
Christmas movies on TV. Back to the knitting!