Odds and Ends

I've added a new link in the sidebar to my free pattern for Not Really Cable Socks. This used to live at the About.com knitting site, but disappeared from there when the old moderator left.

Mmario finished his test knit of the Progressive Shawl. Here's his pic of the finished results, pre blocking.


Ethereal, no? I will launch the pattern for sale (via this blog and maybe eBay) in January.

I found a new Jane Austen quote, and have added it the the comments in Literary Knit-erary.

Last item finished before Christmas. Wool Ease Thick and Quick, k1, p1 rib. Very fast knit. It's for the Red Scarf Project, of course.

And since yesterday was clip art sample day...




This One's for CatBookMom

Boxing Day

We had a lovely Christmas, the best gift of all was having our daughter home. It was low key and relaxed. I spent the afternoon of Christmas Eve knitting (trying to rise above the "second sock syndrome" for the second half of the Tiger, Tiger). DH & DD watched "White Christmas", then napped and visited a friend respectively. In the evening we had soup and sandwiches. For a number of years, Oyster Stew was traditional with us, until we agreed that none of us are really all that fond of it. So now it's clam chowder for the old folks and vegetable for our non-carnivorous girl. After that, the tree lights on, a fire in the fireplace and time to open family gifts.

Christmas morning: Santa Claus still comes, though we sleep in later, and are more leisurely about unwrapping than we once were. Lounged about in PJs, watched "A Christmas Story", read, just enjoyed being in one another's company. Then to dinner in the afternoon at my brother-in-laws: a livlier scene, especially as nephew had recieved a drum set.....

But back to the presents. Lots of books: some poetry, a beautiful volume with plates of all of Vermeer's paintings (which I could, and already have, poured over for hours), a most fascinating "Bedside Book of Birds", a new Amy Tan novel, and

Victorian Lace Today ! I asked for this one specifically, have been waiting impatiently for the last six weeks without even trying to peek, and I am happy to say that it fully lives up to expectations. The pictures are gorgeous, and utterly inspirational. I love having the history section (only regret there isn't more of it). What I've read of the directions seem clear, and I'm going to enjoy going over them more closely to see what I can add to my repertoire of technique. Did I say extremely inspirational? I love it.

Inspirational in a different way, DD gave me Knitting for Peace by Betty Christiansen, and I love this one, too. As the author acknowledges, no one book could cover all the ways women and men are knitting for the greater good. But she lifts up over twenty projects - ranging from knitting for the troops, to development projects in the third world, to knitting for needs close to home - and tells the stories of how they came into being and grew. Some of these organizations were familiar to me, some I have already been involved with, some were completely new. All are inspiring. There is contact and project guideline information for each, and there are basic knitting patterns for several (simple, but nicely photographed). Interspersed with the text are quotations reflecting the author's understanding of peace as something larger, and more personal, than the absence of war, peace that starts from within. So I'll close with one that I take as a New Year's resolution and offer as a New Year's wish.

I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again. - Stephen Grellet, Quaker missionary

Boola Boola Pensacoola Hullabaloo!

It's funny how a passing phrase can bring back a flood of memory. Two words by the Knitting Curmudgeon reminded me of something I hadn't thought of in years, and gave me an aching nostalgia for the work of Walt Kelly, IMHO the best cartoonist of the twentieth century. Sigh! The words alone are like watching a great staging of The Magic Flute with the sound turned off, but for anyone who can visualize the antic mayhem of Pogo, Albert, Grundoon and the rest,
"Deck Us All With Boston Charlie..."

More Than One Way to Skin a Stash

Ribbon? I don't need no stinkin' ribbon.
Sure, it only got rid of a few yards, but I have more packages to go.....

And then there's this

This has been sitting around for about a year. I bought it because I really, really wanted ONE OF EVERY COLOR! But then I didn't do anything with it (except for one ugly yellow and one nice red) partly because I didn't have a project, but mostly because if I did start using it I wouldn't have one of every color any more. (It's not like it's all that hard to re-order from Knit Picks, or anything).

But now I know I want to make something Latvian inspired. Maybe mittens, maybe socks. So it's time to start gauge swatching. So I will take two of the colors that call out to me the least (hell, I don't want to "waste" the ones I really like), get out the dpns (you don't think I would ever work stranded knitting flat?) and get going.

There Once Was a Union Maid

That title will make sense in a little bit. Basically what we have here is a rundown of what I did on Monday...

1) Slept too late (I won't say how late) due to staying up too late (1:00 am) reading "Busman's Honeymoon." I've been re-reading all of the Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane mysteries.

2) Worked on the Nordic-ish Hat. I was awed and inspired by the Latvian mittens made for the NATO meeting. But it's been a long time since I've done stranded color work, so I'm practicing and using up odds and ends on this...





I started at the top and worked my way down on dpns. Unfortunately, didn't have a circular the right size, so by the bottom I was on six needles that are really too short. PITA. That narrow garter border would flip right up if I cast off now, so I'll work a couple more inches in stockinette and turn it in for a facing.


3) Went to the Post Office and picked up the mail. I was excited to receive two things.




a color sample card for the WEBS 2/14 alpaca silk lace weight.

And my union card. I'm now a member of the United Steelworkers of America! Well, sort of. I'm an Associate Member.



It's the one that says Fight Back America. Shown here with some of the other most important cards in my wallet: my library card, my "yes, I'm a card carrying member" ACLU card, and my Sow's Ear customer loyalty card. "Oh you can't fool me, I'm sticking to the union..."

4) After all this excitement, headed out for my Monday evening shift at the library. I figure I'll want the ACLU card if the FBI ever shows up looking for patron information.

5) Home to a little more knitting and my nightly noodle-around-on-the-Internet time. I am awed to see that Wendy has raised more that $25,000 for the wonderful Heifer Project (and, yes, I have made my contribution.) Knitters are awesome! Equally awesome: the hundreds/thousands of hats, scarves, sweaters, afghans being produced and distributed to everywhere from local shelters to Mongolia. God bless us, every one.

6) Back into bed with Dorothy Sayers and another night of reading too late.

Winding way

Time to wind off another skein of the Tiger, Tiger yarn. (That's a good thing, means I'm making progress.) I have a swift, wouldn't live without it, but no ball winder. I rather like winding by hand. It gives me a chance to start getting acquainted with the yarn. It can be soothing, almost meditative. It can also be slow, especially with lace weight (lotta yardage per skein).

So I like to have a little music while I work. Today it's Mmario's CD By Her Command. The lyrical medieval/renaissance feel seems to suit the season and the task at hand. With days growing shorter, I especially like the "New Year's Toast", which you can hear for yourself. (It's toward the bottom of the linked page).