beautiful things

SP12 catch-up

2008-07-05T14:28:09-04:00

I've fallen behind in the SP12 questions of the week (and blogging in general but... shhhhh), so here are a whole bunch in a row...!

Question of the week #2: As a kid, what did you look forward to most about summer vacation/break/holiday?

For some reason, this is a hard question for me to answer, not because I didn't look forward to the summer holidays, but because we did different things each summer. I was lucky because my parents liked (and still like) to travel so my sister and I got to travel to a lot of different places while we were growing up. And while not traveling, well, what I remember most is my sister and I going to work with my father. Often he would drop us off at the library near his office and pick us up later. I always enjoyed going to WHSmith and spending our book tokens and gift tokens from the year. When we were older we stayed at home on our own and I would cook omelets for lunch. My sister always complained because she would get the first one and the second one would always come out much better!

Question of the week #3: What would you consider the perfect amount of stash?

That's a hard one too! I think that for me, having the perfect stash would mean that I love everything in it and am excited about knitting everything in it, even if I don't know exactly what everything is going to be. I'd have a mix of handspuns that are just really pretty to look at and touch and have, even if I don't have plans for it yet. I'd have a few "projects" of yarn - I know what I'm making with it and who it's for. Then I'd have some stuff that I don't know what I'm going to make yet but I'm not worried about figuring out what to do with it. I wouldn't have anything that I felt I had to "use up" just to get out of my stash.

As to the amount, well, if money were no object, I'd allow myself a bit more than I have now, which is a little of over 20,000 yards. But it's not just money, it's experience. I'd like to slowly collect to maybe 30,000 yards, maybe even a bit more, as I broaden my knitting experience and have a wider range of yarns that I know and love, keeping a good selection of those yarns on hand, and then continuing to try new yarns and adding to the collection.

Question of the week #4: : 1) What yarn (that you don’t have/haven’t used) would make your stash “complete”? 2) What yarn do you never want to be without?

This is answered somewhat in the original survey but there are a lot of well known yarns that I haven't tried. In addition to the brands (Alchemy, Socks That Rock, Habu, O-Wool, The Fibre Company, Colinette) and specific yarns (sKNITches Big Tryst, Malabrigo lace silk, Terra by The Fibre Company, Artyarns cashmere) that I listed, I've been thinking lately that I'd like to try more Rowan yarns, and I've been hearing a lot about Dream In Color too.

Yarns that I have tried that I consider to be "staples" that I wouldn't want to be without: Blue Sky Alpacas Sport Weight, Manos del Uruguay wool, Noro Silk Garden, KPPPM, Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky. Some yarns I have but haven't actually knit with yet but I also think are "staples": Malabrigo, Socks That Rock, Noro Kureyon.

Mmmm... City Bakery

2008-07-02T12:43:41-04:00

tracing

Ballband Dishcloths

2008-06-25T07:13:53-04:00

Ok, here is another Florida FO, although this one was Orlando, and not the Keys...

Ballband Dishcloths

Date:

February 10th - 15th, 2008

Yarn:

1 ball of Pisgah Yarn & Dying Co. Peaches & Creme Ombres in earthtone 132

Almost 1 ball of Pisgah Yarn & Dying Co. Peaches & Creme Solids in ecru 4

Why not the same amount of each? Well, it was the same amount, but the solids balls have slightly more yardage than the ombres ones!

Needles:

US #7 Knitpicks Options circulars

Pattern:

Ballband Dishcloth featured in Mason-Dixon Knitting

The story:

Wow, who knew, there's a Wal-Mart relatively near where I work! I have never been - going to Wal-Mart is a relatively rare experience for us, and the two or three times it's happened have generally been on vacation. Imagine my surprise when we went in Orlando to get fishing supplies when I came out with yarn! And not just yarn, but yarn with a pattern in the ballband that I could start on right away! And all for some ridiculous price like $3!

It just so happened that I had just seen Amanda's dishcloth otherwise I don't think I would have even thought to look.

And I think I might have literally had the needles with me so that I could cast on right away on the boat!

Anyway, knitting a dishcloth was more fun than you would imagine, although I have to admit I have still yet to actually use them...

In progress shots:

Finished shots:

Flickr set is here.

Ravelry link is here.

Anemoi mittens

2008-06-24T09:16:00-04:00

Cast your mind back, way way back, to the beginning of time... ok, not to the beginning of time, but to November 2007 when I cast on for the Anemoi Mittens. Yes, I am going to write-up one of ten, yes TEN FOs that I have not yet written up!

Anemoi Mittens

Date:
November 11th, 2007 - January 16th, 2008

Yarn: 1.2 skeins of Blue Sky Alpacas Sport Weight in natural taupe 505
1.2 skeins of Blue Sky Alpacas Sport Weight in natural grape 523
(I love this yarn!)

Needles:
US#1 and #2 Addi Turbo 32" circulars

Pattern:
Anemoi Mittens by Eunny Jang

The story:
These were a birthday gift for my friend Kymm. And yes, I did start them almost three months after her birthday, why do you ask?!! I had yarn left over from the composed mitts so I selected two colors I thought would suit Kymm and the project best and... of course had to buy more of each to complete the project!

I have absolutely no notes or in progress blog entries on this project so I will have to go by memory... I think all I can say is that these were a fun knit, and relatively quick. I knit each one in a few days, but with a long gap between the first and the second. I did learn how holding a strand above or below the other affects the look of the stitch. You can see in the photo below how I switched which halfway through and basically changed the look of the pattern. You can see in the second photo below how it came out much better on the second one when I paid attention to this (you might need to click to get a larger view).

Isn't it funny how we like to show off the mistakes and flaws?! So many times on other knitting blogs I'll see someone say "look at the horrible huge terrible unmistakable error I made" and you look at the photo and can't see a thing!!!

I knit the first mitten on my sofa and the second on the beach when we were in the Keys. That was a most awesome vacation...

It's hard knitting mittens for someone else when you're not exactly sure of their hand size (even though she did give me some measurements). However, mine were coming out exceedingly long so I eliminated four rows at the top of each mitten, adjusting the pattern so it still looked right. I definitely recommend the pattern, and it even comes with blank charts so you can design your own motif.

In progress shots:

Finished shots:

Flickr set is here.
Ravelry link is here.

Wow!

2008-06-19T22:58:00-04:00

Today was a good package receiving day. Yes, there has been some yarn buying... resulting in a nice big box from Webs today at work, and then I got home and there were a couple of books from Amazon (non-knitting books - imagine!) and..

Yup, the first package from my Secret Pal and I love it! My secret pal has been great - tons of comments on the blog and e-mail and already a great package that totally fits in with the kind of things I like without being things I've seen before!

First I opened the Noni Felted Carpet Bags pattern booklet - cute! Then... Rowan Felted Collection. I've always wanted to look into some Rowan patterns, but I hadn't really known where to start, so this is perfect. And hey, I don't know if this a coincidence, but one of my favorite patterns in the book (Andi Messenger Bag - ravelry link) is already in my queue! There are many patterns I would definitely make... Pop Bag, Sophia Bracelets, Jessie Ribbon Bag, Clack Knitting Bag and the Pippa Bag, and possibly a couple of others also.

But it gets even better.... I got Knitting Never Felt Better by Nicky Epstein which is an absolutely beautiful book with tons of before and after photos of swatches with all kinds of ideas for stitch patterns and various techniques for felting which will be really fun to try and turn into little projects or adapt into other projects. I really enjoyed making the one skein clutch and have been planning on trying more felted projects so this is all perfect.

Thank you so much secret pal!!

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-15T23:02:12-04:00

We went to my sister-in-law's for Father's Day - her husband is a chef and we were treated to the most amazing barbecue ever!
It included:
soft shell crabs
shrimp and cherry tomato kebabs
veal burgers
regular burgers
chicken hot dogs
ribs
steak
chicken
pasta salad

It was incredible - a regular flow of meat! And the list does not include appetizer plates and dessert.

After a week of searing hot weather, it turned cold today... I think it was 25F cooler or more!

Summertime drinks

2008-06-14T20:16:27-04:00

So, the Secret Pal 12 Swap (or Secret Pal Swap 12?!!) is going to have a question of the week, and this week's question is: what is your favorite summertime drink?
I would have to say... mojitos. Sweet and refreshing and, unlike cosmopolitans, which I also enjoy, I've found they are a lot more consistently good. I really don't recall ever having a bad mojito, but yes, I have had bad cosmos. Also, I think of cosmos as more year round for some reason...

For something more traditionally British, there's always Pimm's, with all the stuff, although it's been quite a while since I had one of those. And of course, there is never anything wrong with champagne! Definitely not just a summer drink though...

For something non-alcoholic, I love fresh lemonade. And last summer, my husband and I started making white sangria... hmmm, delicious and refreshing and with all that fruit, it almost tastes healthy!!! I could have sworn I posted these photos last year but I can't seem to find them so, from a batch we made last July...

Here is the recipe:

White Sangria

1 bottle white wine (riesling or chardonnay)
2 cups white grape juice
1/2-1 cup peach schnapps
1 cup oj (or mango juice)
juice of one orange
2 spoonfuls of sugar

1 orange
1 apple (fuji or gala)
1 peach
1/2 a package of raspberries

Other:
peach brandy
freeze the fruit
other fruit: apricot, passion fruit, grapefruit, kiwi, lime, star fruit, pineapple

But basically you can improvise and put whatever fruit takes your fancy in. If you are transporting it, prepare the fruit beforehand but don't add any of the liquids - take the liquids separately in the containers they come in and mix when you get there! You can even save some of the fruit for fruit salad the next morning!

Early morning walk down 5th

2008-06-12T07:53:06-04:00
tracing

Poconos knitting

2008-06-08T23:34:28-04:00

It's lovely to go away, but sometimes it's nice to have a few things to look forward to upon returning home. A few hitherto unconsidered benefits to our home:
1) It is NOT home to hordes of tenacious and single minded large black ANTS!!!
2) It IS home to our beautiful queen size mattress
Ok, we have been made aware of 2) before. The downside to having a really amazing bed is that even nice hotels generally can't match it. The upside is, well, I think my single piece of advice to newly weds since purchasing the mattress shortly after we got married is... get an awesome mattress! Matrimonial harmony will surely follow as all enjoy a good night's sleep. Our mattress has individual coils or some such thing which means that movement in one area of the mattress does not get transmitted to other areas. Even if one spouse tosses and turns, the other can sleep in blissful unawareness. Come to think of it, this can be annoying, leading to conversations such as:

Me: I couldn't sleep last night so I got up in the middle of the night and watched old Sex and the City episodes
Hubby: I didn't notice at all.... I mean, I really missed you!

But all in all, totally worth it!
As for 1) and the ants, well, we got used to it, so used to it that even though we've been home for several hours, I keep expecting to see a stray ant cross the periphery of my vision... overall, it was very buggy in the Poconos. It was only a few steps up the ladder from camping. But at least the mosquitoes stayed away and there was of course the whole aspect of it being totally and utterly gorgeous and a lovely getaway.
We escaped the city on Thursday night and by the time we arrived, it was chilly enough that quick use of the gas fireplace in our cabin was not totally ridiculous...

...and the next morning, we wasted no time hitting the lake, which was only a few steps, literally, from our cabin.

Our cabin, the woods and the lake, all viewed from my knitting spot.
Hubby of course was there for the fishing...

...which as you've seen from my multiple posts, left plenty of time for knitting...!
(By the way, in case you're wondering what's up with the one post per photo thing, well, when I post from my iPhone via Flickr, it's the only way I can.)
I had started my first (and undoubtedly not my last) Baby Surprise Jacket last weekend, so that was the first order of business, shown here with spreadsheets created by a blogger and Raveler named Kenny. I was considering making my own, then thinking maybe I should just wing it when I noticed a thread on the Baby Surprise Jacket group on Ravelry and lo and behold, someone had already done all the work! I'm a bit of a spreadsheet fanatic at work so don't take it lightly when I say that there was not a single modification I would have made to these spreadsheets.

It was really quite delightful sitting in the woods, knitting my first EZ pattern and reading about her fishing crazed husband while mine was out fishing as well! It only goes to confirm my suspicions that knitting and fishing and perfectly complementary hobbies!

The pattern was the perfect combination of mesmerizing and mindless. I could read and enjoy my surroundings while knitting, yet it was fascinating to see the unusual construction take shape. I used 2 skeins of Noro Silk Garden 31 and just over 1 skein of 201... I had bought a bunch of Silk Garden thinking I would try a Noro Striped Scarf for my teenage nephew and 31 was the plainest blackest colorway I could find! I ended up abandoning that project and I wanted to use up the 31. I figured the BSJ was an exciting enough project to make up for the relatively boring colorway, plus a co-worker is having a baby boy in September and this would be perfect. The 201 provided a more colorful middle section.

Hard to imagine now, but it was still pretty chilly on Friday, and then it turned into a burning hot weekend! I'm not sure how my husband survived out on open water. It was a good excuse for afternoon naps!
After the BSJ was more or less complete on Saturday, it was time to move back to the Print O' The Wave Stole which had been put aside for over a month:

I got a good part of the border of the second long side done... not much longer to go.
I didn't really knit on my clapotis while out there, but I couldn't resist the chance for a few shots.

Yes, I did like those "horizon" shots...
Here's my set up, complete with citronella candles and bug spray! Cabin is in the background.

Farewell sweet knitting spot!

Back to lace

2008-06-08T10:59:21-04:00
tracing