Hats and Hats and Hats and Socks

We had a perfect Thanksgiving, though one granddaughter wasn't feeling up to snuff. We laughed and ate and forgot to get a group picture. I made the mistake of weighing myself this morning, so I have to hit the treadmill today, even though I usually skip Sundays. Sigh.

Here are some more ribbed handspun Christmas hats for the pile. I was told, this weekend, by young people who know stylin' that roll-brim hats are Not Cool. Luckily, the roll-brim hats are going to people who are far too old to style. But I did knit a few shorter hats, with no cuff, for some younger recipients (shorter hats = faster completion). All of these hats use California Red wool (some with a few other accents- mainly Romney). These hats are the perfect use for this heavy yarn- and it's good that I haven't run out, because every time I think I have reached the end of the list, I remember 5 more people to add to it.

I have 3 pairs of holiday socks (and possibly 3 more, but those don't have to be done until New Year's Eve, if I decide to make them) to knit, so I started one. These are Monkey (http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/PATTmonkey.html from the Winter 2006 Knitty), and everyone in the sock knitting world has made them. This is my second time with the Monkey Pattern, and I am enjoying the rhythm (though not memorizing it). The first time I knit Monkey, I couldn't read a lace chart. This time I can, and wow- the difference is amazing. I tweaked the pattern to use short-row heels, and I'll do a Star Toe. I am, as they say, bookin'. This yarn is superwash wool and nylon from J L Yarnworks (http://www.jlyarnworks.com/) , in South Dakota. I bought this yarn, and a much more subdued skein at NCFF in September, and I love love love the neon green (and so will the recipient).

Tis Finally the Season

Personally, I would listen to Christmas Music all year, but unless I am alone in the house, I have agreed not to play it until after Thanksgiving. And it's after Thanksgiving! Wahoo!

Here are my faves:

Andy Williams- The Andy Williams Christmas Album (http://www.amazon.com/Andy-Williams-Christmas-Album/dp/B0002S94M0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1227985613&sr=8-1 )

This is one of the records my mom had, so this entire album (and the next one on the list) are major nostalgia triggers for me. I am old enough to remember the Andy Williams show, and in fact I treasured a tiny little crush on Andy (at about age 8, I had a rather unsettling dream about him, with me in just my slip... but we won't go there). This music is corny, but such a perfect representation of the early '60's.

Ray Conniff: We Wish You a Merry Christmas (http://www.amazon.com/Ray-Conniff-Merry-Christmas-Medley/dp/B0000024RK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1227985909&sr=1-2 )

This is another Music of My Youth album- and I know and cherish every cheesy note.

Vince Guaraldi- A Charlie Brown Christmas (http://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Brown-Christmas-Vince-Guaraldi/dp/B000ICLSMY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1227986057&sr=1-2 )

This music also comes from my youth (though the older, high-school aged youth), but I didn't get the CD until a few years ago. What lovely music this is. Christmas time is here...

Mannheim Steamroller- Christmas (http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Mannheim-Steamroller/dp/B0000005MT/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1227986247&sr=1-1)

The first two Mannheim Steamroller Christmas albums blew me away to the extent that they became centerpieces in my first mystery novel (which was set in June, btw). Silent Night still makes me misty (meaning, as it does to me, a mom whose kids have grown up and are not coming home for the holidays)(that first time is hard, lemee tellya).

Mannheim Steamroller- A Fresh Aire Christmas (http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Aire-Christmas-Mannheim-Steamroller/dp/B0000005MV/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1227986247&sr=1-20

This one doesn't pack quite the emotional wallop that the first one does for me, but I love it just the same. I cannot listen to Still, Still, Still without seeing Johnny Depp standing in the snow.

John Denver and The Muppets- A Christmas Together (http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Together-John-Denver-Muppets/dp/B000001VD4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1227986655&sr=1-1)

I am still saddened by sudden and unexpected deaths of Jim Hensen and John Denver (and I can rant for a very long time about Miss Piggy shilling for Piza Hut), but the melding of voice and character on this CD will last forever. Who can listen to Beaker on The 12 Days of Christmas, or Rowlf on Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and not smile?

James Taylor - At Christmas (http://www.amazon.com/James-Taylor-at-Christmas/dp/B000I0QK74/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1227986861&sr=1-1)

I made a special trip to the Hallmark store and bought 3 cards that I never used, just to get this album. River is achingly beautiful. Go Tell it on the Mountain is wonderful, and Baby, It's Cold Outside outweighs my deep, irrational dislike 0f Natalie Cole.

Clay Aiken- Merry Christmas With Love (http://www.amazon.com/Merry-Christmas-Love-Clay-Aiken/dp/B00062ZV2E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1227987062&sr=1-1).

Love him or hate him (and we all know which side of the coin I'm on), the boy can hold a note.

And now I need to go put some music on...

Thursday Tab- Saalfield Nurse and Doctor

Yeah, I know it's Wednesday, but tomorrow is going to be busy.

So, what sort of "experiments" do you think the"Doctor" and "Nurse" are performing on that sweet little girl, in this "hospital"?

South Dakota's Next Top Model

Hats and Santa Quilt

The Dakota Earth and Sky sweater is almost dry, so maybe at lunch, I can get my Dear Photographer to snap a couple of shots outdoors.

In the mean time, I have 3 more ribbed handspun hats for the Christmas Pile- The 2 red hats are knit entirely from California Red Wool (a very sproingy, earthy fiber), and the other one used CA Red leftovers and some mystery black that I have no memory of spinning (this is dyed black, not a natural color). I am so glad to be using up this bulky yarn-it's too heavy for sweaters, but perfect for these hats. I have 4 more adult hats to knit (and maybe one after that, I keep adding people to the list), but I can knit one in an evening (or two kid-size), so it won't take long. All of these go in the mail, so I need to be finished soon.

I designed this little 15"x15" quilted Santa wall-hanging in the early 90's. The pattern ended up in a magazine, but I don't remember which one (maybe Country Crafts- all of my published magazine articles are packed away in boxes. I should dig through them for the paper dolls, if nothing else, since I am getting low on Thursday Tab sets to post). The quilting is basic and poorly executed, but I still like the whole design concept: Patchwork Folk Art Santas, wool fleece beards, and a bit of embroidery.

Dakota Earth and Sky

Ta Da!!!!!!

I am so so so happy with this sweater- the only change I'd make to the pattern would be to have the sleeve cuffs just a tinch bigger, and increase a bit at the beginning of the Fair Isle portion of the sleeve (I used 44 sts, and I would go up to 48 for the CO, and then increase to 52, and then do the rest of the increasing as per usual- 2 sts every 3rd rnd, until I get the desired number of sts, and then work even for the proper length). That and the neckline- I still have trouble making a neckline that isn't too large. This one is better, but it's still cut a bit looser than I want. Both are easy fixes for the next time I knit a sweater with this size yarn and needles (I have a template now. Wahoo!)

I didn't take lots of pics during the steeking because the process was no different from Genevieve's Graduation sweater- cut, zig-zag edges, fold in, pick up and knit bands, sew in the sleeves. I did try to take a picture of the body, before I cut the front opening (I was testing to see if it would fit- which it did) but I can't figure out how to take an indoor pic and turn the flash off. Luckily, I had some good buttons on hand, so the sweater is finished, blocked, and drying.

I decided, almost at the last minute, to make solid color front and neckbands- I realized that the yellow/orange/peach would not look good up against the lighter top colors. I think that was the right decision.

Tomorrow, after the sweater dries, I'll model it, and get someone to take pics (I love y'all almost as much as I love showing off, but not enough to stand in the snow in a wet sweater).

Stats: Started knitting: November 9, 2008. Finished: November 24 (this is some sort of record for me, I think), Size 5 needles, all handspun yarns, the dark background colors are all undyed natural wools, most of which I acquired in the fleece, and then washed myself (and sent out for carding). The fibers are almost all long-wools (Romney, to be specific), though there is a bit of mohair, a bit of glitz, a bit of softer wool here and there. This is not a sweater that I will be able to wear without a shirt or turtleneck underneath. Some of these yarns were spun 6 or 7 years ago, some were just finished in August. The sweater weighs 2lbs, which is heavy, but not as heavy as I thought it was going to be. I might be able to wear it indoors (since I lost weight, I'm colder than I used to be).

So, now I have to concentrate on Christmas knitting, before I wind the absolutely gorgeous and soft and wonderful and fantastic brushed mohair yarn I got from Twisted Fiber Arts as the last installment of The Big Needle Club- 460 yards that will be perfect for a fuzzy shawl. I have the pattern picked out. But first, Holiday Knitting... I promise...

Snow and Noses

No progress on the handspun sweater (see pic) because I went on a short road trip yesterday, and then decorated The Big Tree. On the road trip, I completed one ribbed handspun hat, and cast on another (which I finished in the evening- they're a Quick Knit). The yarn on these green hats is from California Red fleeces that I washed, and dyed myself. CA Red is a rare breed- the wool is soft but there are red hairs throughout, which make for really interesting yarn (though not soft enough for next-to skin). The red and white barberpole yarn in the uncompleted sweater pic is also CA Red, and is being used on the current hat. I have a few more hats to knit, a couple of pairs of socks, and a pair of gloves to finish for Christmas yet, but I should be able to get them all done. No one is getting any sweaters this year (well, except for me), so it's all small projects.

Blog Reader Melodie (http://thelatestcastoff.blogspot.com/ ) is knitting a Hat A Day, and she adapted my Snowman Fair Isle mittens for one of her hats. Isn't it adorable? And she had the brilliant idea of using beads rather than embroidery for the snowman features! This is her first Fair Isle project! Way to go Melodie! (Part of the original snowman pattern is here: http://kathleen-dakotadreams.blogspot.com/2008/01/freebie-friday-standed-snowman-mitten-2.html , and that post has a link to the other half of the pattern)

Here's my world this morning- not enough snow to hamper anything, but enough to make things pretty.

Something I learned Yesterday: If you wear shoes with small heels (totally cute olive green Ecco Mary Janes) when you don't normally wear shoes with small heels, and if you don't wear a coat into the store, and the wind chill is below zero, and you hurry back out to the car in the far end of the parking lot, and you yank the car door open quickly, without paying attention, in order to get out of the wind, your head will be in a different position than it usually is when you open the passenger door of your own car, and you will smack the living shit out of your nose. Don't try this at home, kids.

Sweater and Santas

I finished the body of Dakota Earth and Sky (Ta Da! The Title!)!! I wound 2 hanks of blue yarn for the final border (and used a small ball of already-wound intermediate blue) and some pale gray, but ended up not needing the darkest blue. So, now I have to do the steeking, the banding, the sewing, and the blocking. And then the sweating, because it's not going to be an indoor sweater (though it was only 12 degrees here this morning, so I suspect that I'll have plenty of reason to wear it outdoors).

But finish work is going to be interrupted, not only because I have to spin some more dark charcoal yarn for the bands, but because both sons, their SO's, some of each SO's family, and all three grands are going to be here for Thanksgiving, and I need to clean the house, and I want to have it all decorated before next Wednesday.

I started yesterday with the hand carved Santa display. About 15 years ago, I was driven to make Folk Art Santas. Of all the things I've made and done in my lifetime, I think these Santas come the closest to Art (with a Cap A). Each year, as I take them out of the box, I marvel again at whatever it was that pushed me to pick up a chisel (and mourn that the urge has gone completely). BTW- the little triangle Santas have Christmas Trees on the reverse side. Outside of the Half-Moon Sangta bowl on the top shelf (which was a gift), I carved all of the other Santas.

Today, I have out of town errands, and then I'll tackle The Big Tree. And maybe some steeking. Oh yeah, and cleaning...

Dirty Lizzie

Go ahead, make her day.




http://www.paraabnormalthecomic.com/

Thursday Tab- Whitman Western Barbie, 1982

We were still wearing Wing Bangs in '82?

(and what's with that one pink outfit in with the rest of the Southwestern Palette?)

Earth and Sky?????

Dakota Earth and Sky (a companion to the Dakota Dreams sweater)?

Anyway, I'm nearly done with the pruples (one round to go, but my hands cramped up and I had to stop last night). With just the blues left, I think the sweater will be long enough (I want about 27" total). I had thought about going back to the yellows if I need more length, but I'm not so sure now. We'll see how it comes out.

Oh- I had to scrap the middle purple yarn. There just wasn't enough contrast between that and the background gray. I found a ball of lighter purple as a substitute.

I reluctantly concluded that this has to be a traditional cardigan (not a V-Neck) because it's just too heavy for indoor wear, and a v-neck jacket isn't very practical. I'm going to root around in my tubs of handspun yarn for one more skein of dark charcoal yarn, but I suspect that I'm going to have to spin some more for the bands (I have enough yellow/brown/orange to make them match the cuffs and bottom ribbing). In any case, I should finish the body in a day or so, and then it's on to the steeking and finishing and washing and blocking and modeling and accosting random strangers to make them ooh and aah over it.

New Favorite Song: You know how it is when you put your Zune on shuffle and a song comes up that you didn't realize that you had? No? Just me? Well, that happened this morning on the treadmill- I was listening to random tunes, bypassing anything that didn't fit the workout pace and this song came up- it was totally the wrong tempo for exercize, but I had to listen to the whole thing. And then I hit replay. And again. It was Wynonna (Judd- which tells you how little Country I listen to, that I felt the need to specify which Wynonna, as though Wynona Rider has an album. Or Wynonna Parton), singing "Who Am I Supposed To Love?" (from her What The World Needs Now, album). I am totally enchanted with this song... nay obsessed. I've listened to it a dozen times already, and am not done. The rest of the CD? shrug. This song? Wonderful. Where did it come from, why is it on my Zune? Ya got me.

Pruple

...that's what my fingers type nearly every time I write purple (and the temptation to put that in quotation marks was almost irresistible).

Anyway, I'm finished with the sleeves! All I have left is about 9" of body (and the steeking, and the sewing, and the neckline shaping, and the front and neck band knitting, and worst of all- working out the buttonhole spacing. Oh yeah, and I don't have buttons or even a clue about what kind of buttons I want to use). I would like to have arranged the color progression from reds to purples to blues to greens (which doubles back to the yellows), but many of the remaining colors wouldn't look right with the darker background, which is running out very quickly. But the color progression is the color progression, and it's coming along. I'm using up most of what's left of the darker gray, and I'll segue into the lighter (which is shown in the picture) whenever the dark runs out, or the colors don't contrast well enough, whichever happens soonest.

Rainbow Harvest?

Whoa, that's a lot lighter

I knew that the color change from the charcoal background to the gray was going to be sharp, but this is almost startling. On the other hand, it's necessary- some of the remaining colors are just too dark to show with a very brown background. I haven't quite decided whether I actually "like" it or not (shades of unnecessary quotation marks), but I'm not going back. The course is set.

What still isn't "set" (it's a disease, lemee tellya) is whether this will be a high neck cardigan, or a v-neck. I'll have to decide soon (though I suppose, I really don't have to decide. I can make a v-neck from a regular construction by cutting the steeks at an angle, rather than straight up, though that will result in some unnecessary knitting). I only have to knit about 1 1/2" into the next border on the sleeves (purples) and they'll be finished. And only about 10" remain on the body. This sweater has come together really quickly (if you don't count the 7 years it took me to accumulate all of the handspun yarn, and the 8 months that the skeins hung over the railing in my office, before I started knitting).

And I still don't know what to title it. Falling Morris Harvest?

The "Blog" of Unnecessary Quotation Marks

"nuff said"

http://quotation-marks.blogspot.com/

When commercial cakes go horribly wrong....

... They're not kidding. Be sure to check the older posts, and try not to gag... er... I mean... giggle...

(and watch for the occasional lovely commercial cakes, thrown in for relief)

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Morris Falling

Nope, that's not right either.

But the sweater is coming along beautifully. I have finished the red section on the sleeves (I deeply dislike 16" circs, so I'm making do with long dpns, and multiple shorter ones) and am nearly done with the reds on the body. Next up- greens, with a much lighter background color (still Romney, probably from the same fleece, but not as dark). I had originally planned to make a v-neck cardigan, and I'd still like one, but this sweater is quite heavy, and it's going to be mega-warm. I'm not sure that a v-neck will suit the fabric (I suspect it will have to be more a jacket than an indoor sweater). I don't need to decide until I get to the bottom of the future armholes (somewhere around the 17" mark- another 3" or so), but I'm going to have to do some serious contemplation on what I want vs. the fact that a v-neck jacket isn't exactly practical.

From The Department of Happy Discoveries: James Taylor's new Covers cd plays perfectly with the pre-programmed 400 calorie workout on my treadmill. This 45 minute workout goes up to 4mph and a 10% incline changing one or both at one-minute intervals (no running, but believe me, you know you've burned 400 cals when you're done). Amazingly enough, the songs speed up and slow down almost exactly to the treadmill, running out of music just 2 minutes before the end of the programmed session, and a replay of It's Growing fills that space just fine. If I have to exercise indoors (and I do have to), at least I can do it to JT.

Thursday Tab- Lowe Trixie, #3920, 1961

The Hi and Lois comic is still running- it's interesting to see how the drawing style has changed in the last 47 years. I wonder if Chip, the older brother, didn't show up until later.

William Harvest Whatever

So far, the consensus is that this sweater design should have a harvest themed title, with a smaller contingent rooting for William Morris (and a much smaller percentage pushing for naming it after my youngest sister). Thanks for the suggestions, and keep 'em coming.

I will very likely finish the yellow band on the body today and get started on the next sleeve band. I have tentatively decided to go with red/green on the next band. The motif divides evenly in the middle of the repeat, so I can switch color families there. The yellow band is actually yellow/brown/peach/orange, so having a pink/red/rust and then a greens band won't look too odd. I hope. Besides, now that I'm nearly done with the yellow band, I can see that I don't have enough red/pink to do an entire band anyway. I have already had to switch to a slightly lighter background color because the darkest charcoal has run out. This yarn is also natural Romney (all of the background colors are undyed). The color difference doesn't show much in the picture, but it does in person (that *look* was planned into the design). The sleeve background color won't lighten at the same pace as the body, but I don't think that will matter (the sleeves will not have all the colors in them anyway).

I can't wait to get to the next color band, and see what it's going to look like.

By the way- I don't think I mentioned that the motif was inspired by a photo I saw online, of a Latvian mitten.

Linkies

I've made progress on the TBT sweater, but the ribbing and a few rows of the body aren't photogenic enough to drag out the camera. Now that I'm done with the corrugated ribbing (PITB but totally worth the work), the pattern knitting should go a lot more quickly. Thanks everyone for the title suggestions- the consensus calls for some sort of *Harvest* theme (and, #4, it's probably not going to be called Terri's Sweater... heh). I'm going to continue to work on the sleeves and body at the same time, since the yarn is limited, and I want them to match as closely as possible (well, I want the sleeves to match each other exactly, the body may have fewer or more rows of any individual shade, depending on how far the yarn goes). I'm knitting the sleeves separately because this fabric is too bulky for the extraneous seams you get with tandem sleeves. It's nice to get them done with the body though- you'd expect sleeves to go quickly since they're so much smaller, but that's not the case. At least for me, shorter rows, and frequent color changes interrupt the flow and slow me down (not to mention, all those increases). I can knit the body (with 262 sts) almost as quickly as the sleeves (with about 70@ at this point).

In the meantime, here are some new links (posted in assorted places on the right side of the page) to amuse:

The 1884 Knitted Lace Sample Book
http://laceknitter.blogspot.com/

Blog owner, Vintage Kathleen, found a hand-written journal from the late 1800's in a used book store. In addition to the historical value of day-to-day life, the book has a compendium of knitted lace samples and instructions. Beginning in January, 2009, the blog will feature transcribed portions of the journal, along with lace patterns and samples. It should be absolutely fascinating.

Knitting II
http://knittingii.blogspot.com/

Mona is a South Dakota knitter and blogger. We met on Ravelry, and then met in person at a booksigining/knit in at Athena's Fibers in Sioux Falls, SD. Mona is a new spinner and dyer, and her stuff is lovely. She also designs and sells patterns for lovely Fair Isle mittens (link on her main page).

Keeping it Real at 66 Degrees North Latitude
http://tundratantrum.blogspot.com/

This blogger is a New Englander by birth, but Alaskan by choice. She happens to live in Kotzebue, Alaska, where my maternal grandmother (an Inupiat Eskimo) lived. We met because I mentioned Kotzebue here on the blog, and through her, I am now in contact with relatives in Alaska. Her blog is a fascinating look at life above the Arctic Circle (which, surprisingly enough, isn't a lot different from life on the Great Plains), and her photographs of the area are stunning.

The Paper Collector
http://thepapercollector.blogspot.com/

Linda and I share membership in the Yahoogroup Paperdollnews. Her new blog features wonderful paper memorabilia, including paper dolls. Some of the items are printable, and they're all fascinating. I especially love the political paper dolls

To Be Titled

aaaahhhhh.... Fair Isle (I've been trying to call it *stranded*, since I'm not knitting official Fair Isle designs, but it's sort of like the felting/fulling thing- the battle has been lost already)... mindless, easy Fair Isle... All you have to do is remember which color to knit, not which direction the slants go, or whether the YO goes before or after the decrease, and fixing a dropped stitch is easy peasy. (not that I'm dissing lace- it's just not mindless knitting, and for me, it never will be).

I'm extremely pleased with what I got done yesterday on the handspun sweater. I'm using size 5 needles, and handspun yarn that doesn't look worsted weight, but it's knitting that way. Most of these yarns were spun over the last 5 years, and I don't remember where I got a lot of the roving and wool, but I do know that the dark charcoal background on this section was a prize winning, totally gorgeous, Romney Lamb fleece that I got from Iron Water Ranch. The others are mostly fibers I bought at the North Country Fiber Fair (many locally grown and raised). Nearly all of them are long-wool breeds, with a little mohair thrown in here and htere, so this is not going to be a next-to skin sweater. And this sucker is going to be warm.

I have not settled on a title for this design yet- the whole thing is going to be a continuation of the motif you see, no other bands or decoration, except that each repeat will have a different background and color family for the motif.

I had thought that the next motif would be Reds, but given that the first full repeat on the sleeves measured 9", I won't have room to use all of my color combos (reds, greens. blue/purple) and still keep the sweater around 28" long. I'll have to think on it a bit, as I cast on and knit the ribbing and yellow section of the body. Maybe the sweater will just be yellow/red/green. Or maybe yellow/green/blue/purple. I'm going to have enough yarn no matter what I decide.

So, what should I call this design?

When Lace Goes South

It doesn't kid around...

I suppose I had plenty of warning. The previous 2 lace projects had to be abandoned because I finally, and reluctantly, understood that I cannot, and I do mean absolutely cannot, read a chart backwards. Whatever that says about me, my eyes (and brain) don't track symbols from left to right (letters? no problem. circles, x's and little arrow doohickeys? impossible). And though I know that my Lightbulb Lace Notion will work (I can see it, dammit), I have yet to knit a workable sample (and this is after many false starts. When even your swatches suck, you know you're in trouble).

So, I started another lace project- The Rose Trellis shawl (http://cdevine.typepad.com/photos/lace_work/rosetrellisl.html ). It's complex, and ginormous, but the charts were pretty straightforward, and there was none of that reversing nonsense. It's one of those square shawl patterns, and I decided to make it a triangle (working just 2 sections instead of 4). I wound some Knit Picks Shadow (Oregon Coast colorway- a lovely mottled dune-grass in November color) and got to work. Almost immediately, I realized that my needles were wrong for the project (this pattern needs stiletto points, not Inox blunts- K3 togs were extremely frustrating, and there were a lot of K3 togs), and that even without reversing, those looooong pattern rows were utterly confusing- confusing in a way that might not be noticed until I was 2" beyond the snafu.

See what I did there? (the text is hard to read- the first pic with the red circle shows where I went wrong, and the next one shows what it should look like) The nice and orderly line of decreases/YO's got off track somehow (I have no idea how, my stitch counts came out on each row) (and yes, I did think I was reading the knitting- I honestly don't know how it happened). This little piece represents 2 days of work, and while I am fully in favor of faking it whenever possible, this mistake is simply not fake-fixable, and I did not have the heart to tear out hours and hours of work. So I put it away (though I did not frog it- I may yet work up the gumption for a salvage expedition, just not today).

Instead, I finished a pair of Honorary Granddaughter Christmas Socks (from Twisted Fiberarts Playful, in the Tulip colorway. 1 skein plus the coordinating heel/toe yarn was enough to knit 2 pairs of girl-size socks- one size 12, the other size 3), cast on another ribbed handspun hat (for a road-trip project, not that I'm hitting the road any time soon), and cast on a pair of handspun gloves (this is 3-ply BFL from Yummy Yarns, I can't remember the colorway name (Wrong! I just checked the archives- it's Corriedale, not BFL, in the Patootie colorway)And I think I'll cast on the handspun Fair Isle sweater.

I'm not done with lace, but lace seems to be temporarily done with me. I'll let the Lightbulb Lace percolate while I do a little mindless knitting (compared to lace, Fair Isle, IS mindless).

101 Luxury One-Skein Wonders!!!!!

I heard rumors that it was out there, but I had yet to see a copy of Storey's 101 Luxury One-Skein Wonders (http://www.amazon.com/Luxury-One-Skein-Wonders-Judith-Durant/dp/1603420797/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226156046&sr=1-1 ). Yesterday's mail brought my contributor's copy- and I can only say: WOW!!!

Judith Durant and the folks at Storey did a fantastic job with this book- I have one pattern in it, and I want to knit all 100 others! Everything about this book is gorgeous, from the color palette on the cover, to the layout, to the range of one-skein patterns.

My pattern is the Mock-Cable Alpaca Tam (upper left in the picture). Remember when I was in Tam Mode last fall? That's when I designed this hat, using the absolutely yummy Marshmallow (80% Alpaca, 20% Merino) from Decadent Fibers (link in Stash Enhancers). I am currently in Lace Mode (if you hadn't noticed), and there is plenty to feed that addiction in this book- lovely scarves and shawls, and I need to knit all of them. But if you're in the mood for smaller projects, there are also hats, mittens, vests, pillows, bags, baby items, toys, and jewelry, using luxury yarns in all weights.

I love this book, and I am very proud to be a contributor.

So- Calling OZ KNITTER- I can finally send your prize copy of this book. e-mail me (kathleentaylor1952 at gmail dot com) with your address and I'll get it on the way.

Snow!!!!!

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest (Snohomish, Washington, to be exact), so even though I've lived in South Dakota for the last 38 years, the sight of snow falling still triggers the little electric thrill that I used to feel as a kid, whenever I spotted the rare and elusive snowflake. Of course this snow, the first of the season, didn't so much fall as attack.

We lucked out- The Black Hills (or, as we like to say: Wes Triver, meaning west of the Missouri, which bisects the state) got a lot more snow than we did. And by a lot, I mean Deadwood (of slot machine and Kevin Costner fame) got 45". And Rapid City got 10". I-90, the east-west interstate, has been closed from Mitchell (home of The World's Only Corn Palace) to the Wyoming border, and may not reopen today.

Here in Eas Triver (east of the Missouri), we got around 3", though it's hard to tell, what with the Arctic Snow Rearranger howling out there. But our high wind not only piles the snow in inconvenient places, it makes driving purely a hazard. Especially since people have forgotten, as they always do during the summer months, that water plus cold plus wind makes for fender bendery travel. So, though we're not socked in, nor are we shoveling out, we're still under a travel advisory, which sucks. Royally. Because I was going to get to spend the weekend snuggling down with grandkids, who are now stuck at home.

So the *oh look, it's snowing!* has been tempered a bit by the *dammit, it's snowing!*.

I'll spend my day, hunkered down with charts and needles. I had a lightbulb moment for an unusual lace design and construction yesterday, and spent the afternoon and evening swatching and experimenting and tearing out and starting over and still not making the thing in my head real (yeah, I know that I said that I skip swatching whenever possible, but even The Swatch Avoidance Queen would not start a full-size lace project using a totally unfamiliar construction and a new design, without a trial run or two. I'm lazy and impatient, not stupid). So far, the notion has not gelled, but I'm working on it. And since I won't be cooking or cleaning for company, or reading books or playing games or cavorting in the snow with grands [insert self pity here], I have plenty of time to work out the kinks. I'll keep you posted.

Thursday Tab- Watkins and Strathmore Jane and Michael, #1892-6, 1964

Sheeeeeeeee's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.... and whistling....

Speed Record

I can't believe that I finished the Forest Canopy shawl already. Not only finished, but washed and blocked, and ends woven in.

It helps that I knitted it on size 8 needles, and that I was glued to the TV last night. But the real credit has to go to the lovely pattern. This is a very versitile design- it can be worked in any size yarn, and to any size. No recalculation is needed to make the border work with additional repeats- just work to the end of the 8-row rep, and start the border.

This yarn (Rose Garden, 2-ply merino hand spun from hand-dyed roving) is particularly hard to photograph, but the outside shots capture the colors the best, I think (I was pretty leery about taking it outside- we have pea-soup fog this morning, and it was so damp that was afraid it would revert to form in short order).

Stats: Blocked: 72" x 33", used about 400 yds of yarn (a little over 4 ozs), Size 8 needles for the body, with Size 10 for the BO. I worked 5 extra repeats (ended up with 80 more sts than called for). My calculations for figuring out the largest possible number of repeats was off a little. I would have had enough yarn to knit one more repeat, but the shawl is plenty big enough as is.

Of the lace yarns I've used so far, the Pima Cotton (Snowdrop) has the best stitch definition. On the other hand, it's the least pleasurable to knit with, so even though I have a 4lb cone on hand, I don't think I'll be using it again soon. There is something totally satisfying about knitting with handspun (Swallowtail, Cascade Madeira, Forest Canopy), and I have plenty ready to wind, but I discovered 2 balls (almost 500 yds) of cream colored laceweight Alpaca that are calling me (hurrah for buying yarn years ago, and then forgetting about it). I also don't know whether I want to knit another triangle, or a rectangle (no desire to knit a circle shawl yet). And I don't know if I want to design something, or go with something from Victorian Lace Today, or Arctic Lace (or Ravelry, or ... or... or...).

Whatever I decide, I have just begun to lace.

Run, Forest

(not many canopy puns that don't involve a can o' pee, and I'm not going there)

The Forest Canopy shawl is progressing nicely- it doesn't photograph well at this stage because unblocked lace is just a mass of lumps. But this shot does show the colors well. It looks pretty busy, but I think once it's blocked, it'll be fine.

I figured out how to calculate the remaining yarn in order to use up as much as I can, without running out on the final border rows (this is handspun yarn. there is no more. anywhere). I weighed the ball of yarn at the beginning of the last repeat, and then again after I finished it- the shawl gained 16 sts, and I used 11gr of yarn (out of a total of 73gr remaining). I will weigh the yarn again after the next repeat, which should give me a notion of how much more yarn than 11gr the next 16 st gain will eat. The repeats are 8 rows, and the border is 10 (including a loose bind off), so if I leave enough yarn for 2 full repeats for the border, I should be able to finish and have a little left over. My rough guess is that I'll knit 2 more repeats, and then move on to the border. Wish me luck.

This shawl is an amazingly quick knit. Note that I am working without a net- or more literally, without stitch markers. At least without stitch markers after every 8st repeat. So far, that's working out pretty well, though there are mistakes. There are always mistakes.

And if you're an American Citizen, and haven't done it yet- go vote already.

Snowdrop Hangover

I probably should have worked on some socks, or something simple to cleanse the palate, before diving right into the Forest Canopy Shawl, but I was on a roll and antsy to get started. So I wound the Rose Garden 2-ply merino handspun yarn and buckled down.

And not quite quickly enough, realized that if the previous pattern always had a YO on either side of an SK2P, my fingers would occasionally, and without my notice, place a YO on either side of an Sk2P even where the current pattern does not call for holes.

Also, I used needles that were too small. (Confession time: though my books rightly stress the importance of swatching, I hardly ever do it myself. Shameful, I know).

So I tore it out, and started Forest Canopy over with size 8 needles (much larger than I would have expected to need with fingering weight yarn), and am now, as they say, bookin'.

Truly, this is a lovely pattern, perfect for new lace knitters. There is lots of explanation, and very clear instructions, and a nice chart (though I think the Ktbl symbol is too similar to the YO symbol- I fixed that by using a highlighter on the Ktbl spots). The pattern is written for heavier yarns, and the blocked shawl isn't very large (52" x 23", I think), and it's designed to use 350 yds of yarn, or less (a single skein), which is wonderful for stash busting. But I have over 450 yds of this handspun yarn, and I want to use it up, and I'd like a slightly larger shawl, so I'm going to knit a few more repeats before moving on to the border. The tricky part will be figuring out when to start the border. The border is just 10 rows, and if I begin it when I am halfway through the 2nd ball of yarn, I should be okay. I hope.

This yarn is far bouncier than I expected (after knitting 2 shawls with cotton), and it's one of those top-down triangles, which are hard to photograph in-progress (especially since I'm using straight needles), but I did manage to get a scan of the pattern repeat. Lovely, no?

And for lace, this is an extremely quick knit- if I was working it to the pattern specs, I would be on to the border in about 10 more rows. Amazing.

Snowdrop

I don't know what I'm going to do with it- wear it, gift it, drape it artfully across the end of a bed, or just stand back and admire my own handiwork (and the fact that I didn't mess up The Yarn Harlot's pattern too badly). But whatever else I do with the Snowdrop shawl, I will likely cart it around with me for a few days, accosting innocent bystanders and forcing them to gush over it with me (no sympathy for them- they're obviously not inocent, or they wouldn't be out and about when a dangerous woman is carrying a hand knit lace shawl).

Stats: 7.7 ozs pima cotton yarn (which did soften up after washing), probably about 1,200 yds, size 5 needles, blocked: 72" wide x 36" long. Free pattern from The Yarn Harlot (link to the right of the page). The pattern is well written, and I learned new things (like the I-Cord bind off, and adding a knitted edging), and though I will probably not knit it again, I am very glad that I found the pattern.

Up next: The Forest Canopy Shawl in some handspun. Pattern available here: http://ma2ut.blogspot.com/2006/09/forest-canopy-shoulder-shawl.html

Shawl and Butterfly...

... which should totally be a song by Heart....

And for Karen, here's a set of instructions forthe I-Cord Bind Off (scroll to the bottom of the page): http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/FEATfall06TT.html

The ladies in my knitting group use this bind-off all the time, but I'd never bothered to learn it. It looks wonderful on plain knitting as an edging for sweaters or slippers, etc, especially in a contrasting color. But it really looks smashing on felted pieces, and the I-Cord seems to felt at the same ratio as the rest of the piece, which is handy. I will be using it a lot more often now (the learning curve on this one wasn't exactly steep- I have no idea why I'd never searched out the instructions before).

The Snowdrop shawl edging is coming along a lot more quickly than I expected, especially since there are nearly 900 rows involved. I'm about 3/4 of the way around the shawl, and I've passed the dreaded lower point, which was scary because you need to be at a specific row in the repeat when you get to the point. I was only 1 row short, and that was easily fixed by picking up one more stitch and working that row. The next hurdle will be ending on the proper row in the repeat, but I think that can be pretty easily faked if necessary. (Go, Faker! Go!)

The Lace Fever has not abated. I don't know whether to turn on the echo machine and shake my fist at Karen (http://knitgeekery.blogspot.com/ ) Colbert-Style, or give her a great big smooch. I'm not sure which project to start next. I have handspun yarn and beads that were destined for a Ravelympics scarf, which was delayed by actual work (and since I planned way back in August to knit a lace scarf with that yarn, I guess it's not all Karen's fault). I have several other lace-appropriate handspun yarns (including the spindle spun bamboo/glitz 1st Place winner) waiting for inspiration, and lots of commercial yarn in the proper weight (including 3 skeins of Knit Picks Shadow in the Oregon Coast colorway). I have a lovely, huge cone of light brown laceweight brushed mohair, and a ton of wool/camel yarn that I bought on cones years ago. And I have 600 yds of wool/alpaca sportweight yarn which would make a lovely, heavier shawl too. So my options are wide open. I just know that I will not be knitting with cotton on the next one.

And here's an adorable little crocheted butterfly, sent to me by Bunny, who won some yarn in my last contest. You can't tell in the scan, but the butterfly is 3-d. She's adorable and I am going to hang her on my Christmas tree. Thanks Bunny!