Slow Knitting

Finished.

2010-07-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Fylingdales Cardigan
A Fine Fleece

Finished Object.

2009-02-23T20:03:00.000-08:00

Mr. Greenjeans, design by Amy Swenson, from the Fall 07 issue of Knitty. Yarn used, Patons Classic Wool, dark gray mix colorway.

No Go.

2008-11-06T13:22:00.000-08:00

This is my Cabled Riding Jacket, which I did not finish and am about to unravel. I love the yarn, love the pattern but don't think they belong together. Or they don't belong together on my body. I feel like I'm wearing part of a bear suit.

Some things worked perfectly: the bias cables on the bodice match perfectly. Wish I could say that about the length of the sleeves, which are not the same length, something I didn't realize until today. And the waist shaping sits below my waist, or what used to be called a waist. What I saw as shaping sits on my hip bones, and then things turn lumpy. I admit that using dps in place of buttons isn't helping, but I did not want to sew 12 buttons in place only to hate things more.

I am in the process of stripping layers of ugly wallpaper and so am able to have a deconstructed background.

What do you do when....

2008-10-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

My cabled riding jacket doesn't fit. Well, it fits, but I look like I'm wearing a bear costume. Following advice from Knitting Daily, I re-measured. The measurements match the schematic; the measurements match me, but the sweater overwhelms me. So, what do you do??? I'm pretty sure what I do is frog.

Work on the Cabled Riding Jacket

2008-09-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Somewhat blurry, but this is my sleeve seam done with the mattress stitch. The shoulder seams were done with the knit stitch, and I'm setting the sleeves using the backstitch. Even if this seam isn't totally invisible, I'm quite proud of myself.

Whimsey #2

2008-05-19T09:21:00.001-07:00

Zakka Pouch
Design by Blackdog Knits
Yarn: Lion Cotton
Fabric: remmants

This is a place holder, something to show while I work on the Cabled Riding Jacket. Originally, I made this as one of three to hold three separate balls of yarn while I was working on the fronts and back of the jacket. Before I finished this, I finished that portion of the jacket, could use this for the one ball of yarn I'm currently working with, but so far it is holding another project.

The instructions for this pouch are clear and easy to follow. I would change some things about the sewn portion of the pouch, if I made another. And I would probably not use this same yarn again, at least not for this.

Whimsey.

2008-03-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

Molly's Headband

Interweave Knits, Summer 2006
Yarn, Rowan Calmer

Something to break up the cable knitting, though that is going quite well.

A Work in Progress

2008-02-12T08:04:00.000-08:00

The Cabled Riding Jacket, by Teva Durham. Begun in 2006, restarted November 2007, when I realized I was knitting a size too small.

Pictured above: re-knitting the cables at the waist. The knitting was zipping along when I pulled out the first incarnation, thinking I would soon have to unravel that for the yarn. The waist shaping is accomplished in part by spacing the cable crosses closer, which I neglected to do on Take 2. At least I could use the technique the Yarn Harlot taught me, was worried that the one mis-crossed and corrected cable from the earlier incarnation would be wasted. I have finished that portion and am working on the bodice, only on row 6, so the bias slant of the cables isn't obvious yet.

Project Spectrum 3

2008-02-05T11:59:00.000-08:00

Flickering Flames cloth, Lion Cotton.

Not a dish cloth, I think, but perhaps a face cloth? The pattern is lovely and the cloth knit up quickly.

2008 and already a finished object.

2008-01-29T08:24:00.000-08:00

These are are Fetching Mitts, in all of their glory. I did make a few changes, ahem. I lengthened the cuff, added a thumb gusset and made them longer in the palm. However, they did begin with the same cabling and the palm was done in the same ribbing. At what point do they cease to be Fetching? Actually, I think they are quite fetching, forgive the pun.

And I sized them using my hands, which may have been a mistake, as they were a gift and the wearer is much more petite than I am. She hasn't responded yet, so I don't know how they were received, or if they were received.

Last photo should have been first, as it shows the thumb of the second mitt being finished. As usual, couldn't do the very simple thing of moving the image. I know I've done this before. Sigh.

End of the Year Finished Objects

2008-01-14T09:18:00.001-08:00

Cece: Begun February 2007, finished August 2007, frogged January 2008. Just too big as knit. Could be the yarn wasn't right for this project, though I've seen other versions of this pattern knit in the same yarn: Elann Sonata. Could also be that the length of the finished sweater and my body are not sympatico.

Log Cabin Socks: begun and finished December 2008. Yarn: Dream in Color Superwash.

Rainbow (short row) Socks. Begun October 2007, finished January 2008. Yarn: Trekking XXL. Sock # 1 was purely an experiment and a sampler for different short row techniques. I think I last track somewhere along the way and the pattern skewed somewhat, but not enough to convince me to frog it. And it fit when done, so I intrepidly began Sock #2. And finished it. This yarn was purchased accidentally, or at least the colorway was, since I do not like self-patterning yarns. The pattern gives a different twist to it, which is all to the good, in my opinion.

And finally, Roza's Socks, begun Feb. 2007-finished Sept.2007. Lovely pattern by Grumperina. Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Yarn, color denim.

Some Travel and Some Knitting

2007-05-25T09:20:00.000-07:00

The Grand, Canyon, or at least part of the Bright Angel Trail. This was my destination late April and early May. I did not hike all the way to the bottom, since I also needed to hike back out the same day, and while I'm a prodigious walker, I wasn't sure of my limits and did not want to exceed them. I would go back at the drop of a hat. It is lovely and spectacular, somewhere I needed to go.

And it was also my reason for beginning Cece. I thought the weather would be milder than in my part of the world, but possibly cool enough that a light cover-up would be welcome.

On the left my Cece in it present incarnation. Using Sonata by Elann, size 5 Addi lace needles. On the right, previous incarnation, kind of flabby in feel, using size 7 Addi's. I think the lace pattern is crisper now; possibly I could have blocked some crispness into the other, but if so I would have had to block it large, or at least larger than needed.

Just because I'm knitting slowly doesn't mean this is a difficult pattern. The repeats are easily remembered, and it is knitting up quickly. When I realized that I needed to start over, I put Cece aside, started a quick shawl for the trip (which I also didn't finish; I'm just not good at knitting to meet a definite time line), and have just recently started Cece again. And ripped out the shawl and started it again. And I'm enjoying knitting both, which is most important to me.

How the Rhinocerous Got His Skin

2007-04-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

Again not a picture in sight.

I've been working on Cece; as I worked I thought my knitting was looking loose and sloppy. Eye my knitting, eye Bonne Marie's picture on the pattern. Knit some more. More squinching of eyes to make it look smaller. Finally slip all stitches on to waste yarn.

This is lace knitting; lace needs to be blocked. If I block this, it will increase in size, and I will look like the Rhinocerous in Kipling's story. So I'm swatching on needles two sizes smaller, and it looks much better, the lace better defined, even before blocking.

Yarn: Sonata from Elann.
Needles: Size 5 lace needles from Addi.

Just Trying to Get Through the Day

2007-03-27T13:04:00.000-07:00

I'm experiencing computer problems, have lost all of my photos, etc. As a result, no new photos to post.

Progress to report, though. The infamous pink socks are done, and I will not whine about them any more.

And on my needles: Roza's socks by Grumperina from the Spring '07 Interweave Knits, and Cece by Bonne Marie Burns of ChicKnits. I am not linking to anything until the computer woes are solved. Very dispirited, that's what I am. Time to go for a long restorative walk where I'm walking all over modern technology (at least as represented by my walking shoes). Time to see how much bigger leaves have grown overnight.

Reading: The Namesake, The Blind Assassin, Special Topics in Calamity Physics.

Blue Knitting

2007-02-08T10:27:00.000-08:00

Since I'm playing along with Project Spectrum, I've been knitting blue. There is the wondrous Garterlac dishcloth (I was smitten by Eunny Jang's entrelac socks so am working to overcome my entrelac ineptitude.), a mitten from a pattern by Elizabeth Zimmerman (a Zimmermania project), and the pink socks. Currently they are making me blue. One could read the last two entries about this if one is curious.

So there I was Saturday morning...

2007-02-06T10:52:00.000-08:00

sitting in the rocking chair by the window as the sun streamed in. The cat was sleeping on my lap, enjoying the rare moment of sunshine too. I had just turned the heel on pink sock #2, take 2, and was feeling proud of myself. I leaned over and picked up my notes on pink sock #1 and looked at the heel flap notes.

Why, I asked myself, had I only done 24 rows on the heel flap of sock #1, when sock #2 required 36 rows to amount to 2 1/2 inches?

And then the memories came flooding back. And I was alternately flummoxed, disgusted and finally highly amused.

When I started work on these socks, I knit a swatch or two, trying to get the gauge right. Then I started asking around and found a KAL for these socks.

(Do you know that not many people knit gauge swatches? Well, I knit 'em, because of knitting one sweater again and again until I learned about gauge and how it counts. And then I only had to knit that sweater once more and it fit. What a revelation! Check your gauge, folks.)

Not many of the KAL members gave a toot about gauge; they all just jumped in and then wrote about how they were changing the pattern, didn't like this, didn't like that, this was too loose or too tight. All of which might have been corrected by getting the correct gauge.

Finally one kind person directed me to another kind person who had helped her with the socks and who had also knit several pairs of these socks (7 pairs). She kindly answered my email, advised me and set me on my way.

To knit the socks as the pattern was written. But, you see, the pattern was written for two weights of yarn, and between Thing 1 and Thing 2, I forgot that I knit Thing 1 as the pattern was written for the heavier yarn. And when I started Thing 2, take 1, I knit it according to the directions for the lighter weight yarn, which meant more stitches, but I was using the bigger needles, so that meant a flabbier sock. And after unravelling Thing 2, and starting Take 2, I used size 2 needles instead of size 3, but still the stitch count for the lighter yarn, which meant a slight difference in size which I had been puzzling over even as I knit.

So I've come to a stop with that sock once again. I don't know if I'll continue or unravel. It's good practice, yes? this unravelling and re-knitting.

Another Unfinished Object

2007-02-01T11:11:00.000-08:00

What we have here is Sock #2 in progress. Sock #2 existed before in a flabbier form and was unraveled for a new beginning . I've placed it on top of Sock#1 for comparison. I worked this incarnation of Sock #2 on size two needles. Apparently I did use #3s for the original Sock #2. How did that happen? I can only imagine that the #3s were lying out in the open, and the 2s weren't. I kept a record of number of rows, but not of needle size.

These socks, the Simply Lovely Lace Socks from Interweave Knits Spring 2006, aren't difficult. The lace pattern is easy to remember, and they knit up fast. That said, I won't be knitting a second pair because they are anklets, and I'm not an anklet fan. The yarn for these I won, along with the pattern, so felt that I should knit a pair. And because I'm stubborn, I will knit a pair, but only one pair.

And as a non-sequitur, I read three books during the month of January. They are:

Heat by Bill Bryson
Forgetfulness by Ward Just
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

This is a promising beginning to a year of reading.

Finished object.

2007-01-25T09:19:00.000-08:00

Hmm. I should have looked for a different background or waited for a sunny day. This looks rather gloomy. What it is: The Airy Scarf fromLast Minute Knitted Gifts. It was knit with Rowan Kidsilk Haze in gray. It is a gift for a dear friend, and I'm not sure she'll take to the color, which rather resembles a dust laden spider web. I actually chose it because it seemed neutral to me, so would go with a range of other colors. But spider webby it is.

I'm listing it as a finished object, partly as an unofficial entry into the Unfinished Objects KAL I read about. My unfinished projects include: a)my cabled sweater; b)the Shedir hat I began then stopped when I discovered a backward cable; c)what were supposed to be the Wine and Roses Mitts from Interweave Knits. I was using Blue Moon Seduction. That was not the problem; the problem was that I just couldn't "see" the lace pattern developing. I will probably use the yarn for something else; d)a pair of mittens for the Zimmermania KAL; and e)those pink socks from the Lovely Lacy Socks pattern. That's five projects in various stages of completion. The scarf made six, and as such was an easy way to have success.

This One Is For You, Jane

2006-12-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

Finally the tree is up and decorated, and I have a moment to breathe and post this photograph.

This is one of the four ornaments Jane sent as part of the Knit The Classics ornament swap. They blend perfectly with our eclectic collection of ornaments.

Many thanks again, Jane.

Finally a finished object.

2006-12-08T21:59:00.000-08:00

This is the ornament made for the Knit the Classics ornament swap. The pattern came from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I've been intrigued by tiny sweaters as ornaments for a while and liked this pattern best because of the neck line. It was a fast fun project, and I hope my swap partner likes it.

I also finished a pair of socks, once again using the Jaywalker pattern. Those were the only socks actually started during Socktoberfest, despite grand plans. I finally finished the pair on November 20, and although Socktoberfest was long over, it was a personal best time-wise for me. A mere month and a half for that pair of socks. They were meant as a gift and mailed off before I snapped a picture.

Currently I'm swatching for a pair of mittens for myself and as part of the Elizabeth Zimmerman Knit Along. Once they're started, there will be pictures.

Socktoberfest

2006-10-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

I am arriving late at the party, although I did rsvp early.

These socks were knit using craftoholic's Mata Hari sock pattern (since the pattern isn't available just now, I'm not going to link to her site). I think I knit them too big, should have used an inch fewer stitches. I did add an extra repeat, thinking I needed it. The yarn is Trekking XXL and superwash; can't count on slight felting to get a better fit. I love the pattern and will use it again.

What follows is a short history of my sock knitting, getting into the spirit of Socktoberfest.

I knit my first pair of socks about 10 years ago and am self-taught.

That first pair of socks were for my husband. I used the basic sock pattern from Knitting Without Tears, and a worsted weight yarn, which produced a very sturdy sock. Their intended recipient refused to wear them, claiming hot feet. I frogged those socks. I think a sock weight yarn would have been a better choice, since the socks weren't destined to be worn hunting, or any other place where wet feet might be a hazzard.

As to what sock yarns I've enjoyed, Koigu comes to mind, as does Knitpicks Sockgarden yarn, sadly discontinued. All of the socks I've knit so far have been on double points, top down. I'm hoping to knit at least one pair during Socktoberfest toe up, just for a challenge.

Preferred heel: so far I've used the heel flap on all of my socks.

Total number of pairs: eight to date.

Sock knitting idiosyncracies: When I turn a heel, I have to do it all in one sitting. The same goes for grafting the toes.

Sock knitting fantasy: that I will knit at least 2 pairs of socks this month, with enough time left over to begin Eunny Jang's Bayerische Socks.

Socks

2006-09-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

I really like this sock pattern. I think I'll work on it during Socktoberfest.

Aaaarrrgghh!!!

2006-09-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

Let's put it this way: I can sit here for hours trying to add a button to my blog, or I can knit and otherwise get on with my life. For now and for the forseeable future, I'm choosing the latter. (Obviously, given the title of this entry, I've tried the first.)

Those 10 IQ points

2006-08-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

Some years ago, when I was pregant with my youngest daughter, I knit this: an entrelac baby bunting, entrelac front and back, with a hood and a zipper. While I was working on this, a friend told me that she had read that with each pregnancy the mother loses 10 IQ points. (She then turned to a mutual friend, well into her third pregnancy, and said "What does that say about you?").

When carrie wrote about knitting this dishcloth, I thought "piece of cake" (though having baked many cakes in my life, I'm not sure why "piece of cake" should signify ease) (And why is "pure as the driven snow" a mark of purity? Driven snow usually picks up a lot of dirt as it scuds along. Sorry, digression.). After all, I've knit both entrelac and dishcloths, so putting them together? No problem.

Except that it was. And those 10 IQ points? They may have been entrelac-specific, and I used them up on the bunting. Strange though; I don't remember that being a difficult project.

Postcard

2006-08-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

This is the postcard I received from my August Project Spectrum Postcard Swap buddy, Anne. It is lovely, tiny stitches on an ombre background. Thank you, Anne, for all of the care you took.

And this is a sock gone wrong. The second and unfinished sock is between one and one half and two inches larger in circumference than the first and finished sock. I noticed this awhile ago, but optimistically told myself that it would work out, was stretched out by the needles, would pull in once I began decreasing for the instep. I knit the heelflap, turned the heel, picked up stitches for the gusset, started decreasing for the instep. Finally I tried it on. Not good, baggy about the ankle. Baggy about the ankle is definitely not good since I'm already unsure about wearing anklets. What went wrong? Did I inadvertently pick up needles larger than I used for sock #1? Did I loosen my gage that much? Was I cocky after finishing sock #1? I'm trying to decide on a course of action: definitely frog #2, but start again on smaller needles, or use the same size needle and try to knit tighter. Think I prefer the smaller needle path, but when to check my progress? The pattern tells me to knit a gauge swatch circularly in stockinette (I did that before I began the pair, and accomodated my gauge then); I think this sock will lie dormant for a bit.

What I said I would read this summer vs. What I acutally read.

2006-08-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

Summer reading:

Planned:

Digging to America by Ann Tyler
I did read this. Think I liked her An Amateur Marriage more.

My Life In France by Julia Child.
Checked it out from the library but didn't finish within the two weeks I had. I'll try again.

Susannah's Garden by Debbie Macomber. I prefer her Shop on Blossom Street series. Didn't finish this and have no plans to.

Dark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson. Amateur detective who is a caterer. Recipes included but I haven't tried any of them. Not sure I like her writing style.

Assasination Vacation by Sarah Vowell. Half finished with this. Like her style and her work on This American Life.

Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Diaz Zafon. Local bookgroup choice. Well written, tense, worth re-reading.

The following were on my to be read (or to be finished list) and weren't finished:

The Color of Law, The Hamilton Case, Doing Nothing, Invisible Man, and The History of Love (this last I did read last summer and planned to reread because I really liked it. After some arm twisting, my local bookgroup plans to read it in January, so I'll wait.)

What I read that wasn't on my list:

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. Local bookgroup selection. I didn't expect much from this book, thought it would be a potboiler, but it exceeded my expectations. I still think Never Let Me Go is a stronger, more gut-wrenching work.

Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich. What can I say; I like her Stephanie Plum series. The books are witty, sexy, just fun to read.

Cross Country by Robert Sullivan. One man's description of one of his cross country trips from Portland to NYC with a lot of trivia thrown in. Another enjoyable read. He also wrote Rats which I'm now thinking about reading.

The Lighthouse by P.D. James. We listened to this as we travelled. Good listening.

Various bookgroup choices: Wuthering Heights, No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, The Mermaid's Chair.

That is it; an honest rendering of my plans and my shortfalls.

Miscellany

2006-08-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

A few swaps ago my swap partner sent me some undyed wool and kool-aid to dye it with. I put it aside until last week when I attempted to dye it a certain shade of green. I just wasn't thinking, or I would have known that kool-aid doesn't come in a light olive green, even when combining two flavors, in this case green apple and lemonade. Do they still make rootbeer kool-aid? That might have helped.

What I got was a bad smell, the smell of wet wool (which I don't mind) mixed with artificial green apple and lemon (which I do mind). Green apples don't even smell in the real world, at least they do not smell like green apple kool-aid. The finished product is the skein of wool hanging on the back of the chair, which is definitely not a light olive green. I don't think I'll be dabbling in kool-aid dying again.

I skewered my current sock knitting to the back of the rocker to display progress. That is the second Simply Lovely Lace sock, ready to begin decreasing for the gusset. And that is the first Trekking XXL sock, part of a knitalong, a knitalong meant to end soon with a pair of socks finished. I shouldn't join knitalongs, not unless I'm at the bind off when the knitalong begins.

Or readalongs, for that matter. My summer reading list mocks me, but then I did read some books not on that list and not read some that were. I'm comfortable with that, can edit my list to approximate reality if I'm not.

2006-08-19T06:34:00.000-07:00

Two more photos from the Bray. One of a tile installation and the other of an old beehive kiln. The Bray was a brick factory years ago, and there are several of these kilns left, no longer in use.

No knitting to show today; the camera is still travelling. Truthfully I haven't done a lot of knitting over the last few days. I've been arranging to fly my daughter's cat to her. Kitty has been a houseguest for the last two months while my daughter moved. Technically I know what has to be done, but emotionally, no. The pet store person I talked with yesterday about "crates" had frightening stories to tell.

And I've been thinking about my non-participation in my on-line bookgroup, this month. I've never been able to complete a knitting project within the month as we read a book, but I've at least read the book. This month not even that. Now as I read other's comments on the richness of the language, I'm tempted to go pick it up and give it a try.

I did contrast that to my participation in my local bookgroup. I always read the books for that group; there isn't ever any doubt that I will. I think this is because I know with that group, at least once during the year we'll read a book that I've suggested, that I want to read and share with the others. But the online group doesn't work that way(possibly because of the size of the group?). Some of the discussions have really been good; some of the books have been surprisingly good, and there have been some dogs. The group could be a little less anglo-centric in its choices (someone will jump in a say that we're reading Nabokov this month, and he isn't anglo). And I do have a choice; I can read what the group is reading, or like this month, not participate.

Travel

2006-08-18T06:45:00.000-07:00

Two weekends past, we packed up the car and went travelling. The main focus of this trip was the Archie Bray Foundation. The primary mission of the Bray Foundation is to provide an environment that stimulates creative work in ceramics. This was maybe a geeky kind of trip, but one that greatly interested me. With the exception of the partially finished sock, the photos were taken on the grounds of the Bray. After completing a residency at the Bray, artists leave some of their work about the grounds, and there are various site installations. The circular installation is titled "A Potter's Shrine" ( I think that's correct; could be plural: Potters' Shrine). The winged figure is titled "Angel" and has a tea pot in her left hand; she is about 6 feet tall. I am truly sorry that I didn't write down the names of the artists. Trust me: this was a dream trip for me.

The Bray is located in Helena, Montana, a very pleasant little city. We spent the night there and then travelled back to Missoula, Montana, on Saturday morning to be sure we got to the farmers' market. My husband and travelling companion was confused about this portion of the trip, but it is a most excellent farmers' market. We bought tomatoes, huckleberries, basil, cantalope, and fresh baked bread; then we supplemented that with a bit of cheese and travelled on for a night's camping in the Clearwater National Forest, parallelling the Lewis and Clark Expedition's route across the mountains. This was also on my to-do list, and I appreciated my travelling companion's willingness to go along, even with a slightly bemused expression.

And the sock: this is the first of a pair of Trekking XXL. The pair is supposed to be finished by September 1st or Labor Day, something like that, but I have my doubts. The color is #36 (I think, but I can't find the ball band just now) and is growing on me. I'm using craftoholic's Mata Hari sock pattern, kind of grafted on to a generic sock pattern, which seems to be working for me.

(As part of my travels, I read Cross Country by Robert Sullivan, good summer reading, entertaining, and the first part of the book parallelled our trip across the Bitteroots.)

And as a postscript: why did they kick Alison and not Vincent off of Project Runway?

Dishcloths and Solitude.

2006-08-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

By a fluke, I have four days of solitude. This means more time to knit and sew, less time needed to prepare meals, do the laundry, etc.

These photos are of dishcloths knit since I bought

Mason-Dixon Knitting. And if you wonder why every single one uses yellow yarn, that would be because I bought a whole cone of yellow. That would be 940 yards and apparantly many discloths. Six is nowhere near the end of the cone; six dishcloths just scatched the surface of the cone. My advice is to not buy a cone of any color unless you like that color, and like that color a lot. The dishcloths do knit up quickly, and once more I can play with color, sometimes successfully, sometimes not so successfully. I've used Peaches & Creme, Sugar'n Cream, and Lion Cotton while knitting these. I think Sugar'n Cream is slightly lighter than the other two; at least the cloth knit with that and the Peaches & Cream yellow feels a bit looser. And with not too much time spent knitting, I have a finished object (or six).

Playing with color

2006-08-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

For years I've been working on a quilt. It's a crazy quilt of sorts, though maybe it's more of a sampler quilt these days. It started as a quilt for a single bed, graduated in size (theoretically) to a double bed, and if ever finished will now need to cover a king-size bed. The size isn't the only thing slowing me. I think I'm much more intrigued by the process than the finished product. That's probably a good thing, since it may never be finished.

One thing I learned early on is that just laying down a wonky piece of fabric and stitching other wonky pieces on to it doesn't work. The mass of fabric begins to buckle and warp; it doesn't lie flat. That discouraging fact led to a hiatus of several years. Then I read that crazy quilts are worked in sections, each section worked on to a foundation fabric. Aha. That worked for me, but the work went slowly.

Recently I read Gwen Marston's

Liberated String Quilts and have been using some of her techniques. My squares are not "liberated" because I'm still using a backing like I used for my other non-string squares.

The photo (bad lighting, slightly out of focus, taken in a rush before the camera went travelling without me) is of a piece recently worked using the neutral -mostly- colors of August Project Spectrum. By last count, I may need as many as 25 more squares; I want the finished, if ever, quilt to hang down over the box springs. This is an admirable, if wildly optimistic, goal.

All in all what this says is that there is something I do that I do more slowly than knitting. However, it does give me a chance to play with color, patterns, shapes. And this is liberating.

Postcard

2006-08-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

This postcard came from my July Project Spectrum Postcard Swap buddy, Angela of

http://purlsbeforewine.blogspot.com

Notice the cunning little knitting and the toothpicks masquerading as knitting needles. Angela, I hope you did the knitting on other needles and slipped it onto the toothpicks later.

I've enjoyed the postcard swap and coming up with a new idea each month. Some of my ideas were inspired, some not so much, but it's always been fun. Thanks, Lolly, for putting this together.

I'm working on the Cabled Riding Jacket this month. Haven't much to show in the way of progress, or should I say my progress looks the same as what was already done. A few more rows and that will change.

2006-07-31T08:21:00.000-07:00

This is the first of a pair of Simply Lovely Lace socks from the Spring 2006 Interweave Knits. I used Gems Opal; since my gauge was different from that given, I experimented, first by adding more pattern repeats (the finished sock would have been too baggy), then by using the directions for the sock knit with Gems Pearl. For me that was just right.

The picture is fore-shortened, but these socks are anklets. I have twice as many rows in the foot portion of the sock as I do in the leg portion. And I have size 11 feet (and high arches--notice that one can see daylight under the back foot).

The lace pattern isn't difficult and is easily remembered. I did keep a row count; maybe that's just my need to keep track of where I am. I do pick up my knitting at odd moments. The leg portion of the second sock is two thirds complete. For this one I'm keeping a log of time spent knitting, wondering just how long it does take for me to knit a pair of socks. Right now it seems to be taking me 20 minutes to knit 4-5 rows, with one row being the lace pattern. What really slows me down is knitting into the back of some of the stitches as called for in the pattern. I can do this with speed when I'm using combination knitting, but not in this pattern.

I have Gems Pearl for another pair of these socks, but I'm wondering if I really want two pairs of lacey socks. Even with this pair, I'm thinking I need new shoes. Maybe I'm influenced by the photo in the magazine. Couldn't wear those heels, though.

Outside of My Window.

2006-07-12T05:48:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to Jane, my postcard swap buddy, for this wonderful postcard, a photographic collage and a balm to my soul. Why might I be seeking comfort? The second photo says it all.

Our house was built in 1907 and apparantly has only had two roofs in that time, the original wood shingled roof and a later composite shingled permutation. The latter was simply put on over the first; I know this because we are getting a new roof and the old must come off first.

This is what it looks like when a 99 year-old roof comes off. And the sound and feel of having a roof ripped off are incredible. All over my house there is a pall of dust, 99 years of dust set loose, including some ash from Mt. St.Helens, I'm betting. And once the ripping off was complete, the hammering began.

Now I know there was no other way to do it, and I should have had the sense to be somewhere else, somewhere else far far away. This is by way of saying that I haven't done much knitting lately. I haven't done much of anything but think I've learned my lesson, and when the hammering begins today, I'll take a walk at the very least.

Thank you, Stephanie!!!

2006-06-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

I am so indebted to Stephanie, The Yarn Harlot. I was merrily working on my cabled riding jacket when I noticed a mis-crossed cable. In desperation I asked for help and Stephanie created a tutorial on how to fix the miscrossed cable without unraveling the last six rows.

I think I've moved the pictures into the right order: top, needle points to mistake; second, 6 rows of 5 cable stitches unravelled--sweaty palms time; third, 5 stitches recrossed in right direction; fourth, 6 rows reknitted, a mini-knitting project. Brilliant, but I'm not taking any credit. My knitting muse deserves all of the credit.

So once again, thankyouthankyouthankyou dear Stephanie, and I'm sorry about the "niggling".

Go visit Stepanie to see how it's really done and feel the love.

http://www.yarnharlot.ca

2006-06-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

Forty-one rows of the Cabled Riding Jacket. Very difficult to photograph so that the texture shows. Difficult to get the lighting right.

And flowers from the farmers' market. One of the sellers was using good marketing technique: her radishes were labled "French Style", her spinach "Succulent. Rain was pouring down, and the flowers were a gift to myself for braving the weather.

Not Knitting

2006-06-12T12:18:00.000-07:00

These are photos of some of my pottery made by my own hands. I chose blue glazed pieces because June is the blue month for Project Spectrum and it may be a good thing that I'm a knitter/potter rather than a knitter/photographer. There is some blurriness.

I have only one blue yarn in my stash, a blue shetland used to trim a baby jacket many years ago. I do have some Trekking XXL ordered, a red/olive/navy variegated which may have to serve for my June Project Spectrum knitting. I'm also re-covering the cushion of a rocking chair with a printed fabric which has a blue background. I'm trying to work on that steadily, to not abandon the project, or just put it aside when I can't find my tools. All tools have been located, fabric purchased, etc. I'm ready to work.

I'll post photos of the rocking chair before and after when I reach after.

And I am steadily working on the Cabled Riding Jacket, will post photos of that when progress is evident. Just now it looks pretty much the same as the last time I photographed it.

Read, Knit, Get Up and Get Out.

2006-06-07T10:01:00.000-07:00

I promised myself that I wouldn't spend more than 30 minutes playing on the internet today. More and nothing, especially knitting gets done. I am exceeding that time constraint, but I want to make some notes to self on my plans for the summer.

Reading: (I think I signed up for a group project of listing summer reading plans; I probably should have picked up a button, but the directions for doing that still flummox me, i.e. it doesn't work for me when I try to ever so carefully follow the directions.)This is my list:

1.Digging to America, Anne Tyler
2.My Life in France,Julia Child
3.Susannah's Garden,Debbie Macomber
4.Dark Tort, Diane Mott Davidson
5.Assination Vacation, Sarah Vowell
6.Color of Law, Mark Gimenez
7.The Hamilton Case, Michelle De Kretser
8.The Shadoow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafon
9.Doing Nothing, Tom Lutz
10.Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison
11.History of Love, Nicole Krauss

Summer knitting:

1.Socks: I'm supposed to be knitting something with Trekking XXL but am currently not liking my choice of yarn. Have yarn that I won at Margene's for two pairs of socks. Have some Opal Petticoat that a book exchange partner sent me. Have ordered some more Trekking XXL.

2.Cabled Riding Jacket. I'm loving it, though I'm making slow progress. However, it knits up fast, inch-wise, so much more satisfying than small needle knitting.

3.Bought a cone of Peaches & Creme in bright yellow. Will be knitting dishcloths (thanks to Mason and Dixon) all summer long using the yellow with any and all colors.

Hiking:

You betcha. Don't know where and when but I'll be out and about.

And sewing. Didn't put it in the title, but I need summer clothing, can't find the quality I want in stores, so need to sew for quality and style. First up: a skirt. Pictures another day. Have far exceeded my self-imposed computer interaction time limit.

Picture at top is another view of the Japanese Garden.

Take a Hike

2006-06-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't actually call this a hike. This is my daily walk throught Manito Park in Spokane, Washington. The Trekking yarn I'm using is #128 and sadly is a jacquard. Sadly I say because I've studiously avoided jacquard yarns. As a class of yarn, I find the color combinations bad (#128 is less objectionable if only because the colors are mostly neutral--with the exception of the strange apricoty/peachy/pink stripe). I also avoided them because I was pretty sure the pattern wouldn't work for me. Guess what? I was right. What I get reminds me of a flip-book, with an amorphous blob starting out small and growing taller only to suddenly flip around and head the other way. Very strange, although the colorway is growing on me.

And should you ask why I purchased this yarn, well I had a coupon for 20% off and didn't realize it was jacquard, thought it was a simple stripe.

The images posted are (from the top left)1.a study of color and texture in the perrenial garden 2.an English rose by the name of "Mary Rose", deliciously fragrant; 3. stone bridge composed of basalt;4. a view of the Japanese Garden; 5.the duck pond.

This park originally had imput from the Olmstead brothers, though I think their plan has been subverted over the years.

I'll Be Darned.

2006-05-27T12:12:00.000-07:00

These are my Jaywalkers; the second was finished in just over a week, which means that theoretically I might finish a pair of socks in two weeks.

If this surprises me, it's because the first socks I knit were the product of a year's work. Knitting, unravelling, trying to get the picot edging right, etc.

About a week ago, I was thinking that I should finish these by the end of the month, then begin work on my Trekking XXL socks. I calculated the number of rows left, divided by the number of days, and set to work. And finished with 5 days to spare.

Notice the foot portion of the two socks; perhaps Kitty's biting through the yarn on the sock with more pooling did have an effect.

Details

2006-05-23T09:59:00.000-07:00

I am making slow progress with the Cabled Riding Jacket, but I am making progress. So far I have only 3.5 inches completed, but that is because of lack of time to work on it. I'm not finding it that difficult of a knit. The picture, not a good picture but the best I could do, shows some of the details of the wavy cables. As you can see the cables wind back and forth, and one does need to pay attention to the chart.

That said, the cables cross every sixth row, with the other five rows worked in knit and purl, with the occasional decrease to shape the sweater. The shaping is probably already visible in the 3.5 inches knit, but the stitches are scrunched up on the needle, making any shaping hard to discern. The sweater is knit from center front to center front, bottom up.

The yarn I'm using is from Beaverslide Dry Goods and is their Aran weight in the color Tamarack(mostly brown with some yellow fibers included--looks like mossy tree bark). It's mule spun 100% wool, very soft and spongy, and even softer after blocking. Teva Durham used a yarn from Mostly Merino, which is a wonderful yarn, but unfortunately my budget didn't allow for that.

I'm really liking this pattern; it's challenging but very interesting. I'll post more pictures as I make more progress.

A Modest Beginning.

2006-05-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

This is the first project from Mason*Dixon Knitting that I've completed, the basic ballband dishcloth. Great results for an easy project.

I'm feeling rather pleased with myself; I finished the dishcloth, am working on Teva Durnham's Cabled Riding Jacket, and cast on for the second Jaywalker. Stop laughing, all of you with fingers more nimble.

I can't think of a knitting project to accompany Pride and Predjudice. Well, I can't think of a project that I personally can finish within the time limit set.

I mailed my postcards for Project Spectrum yesterday; I'm sending one to my last month's swap buddy too, although the USPS andGerman postal system have yet to deliver her April card to me. Not her fault, though; she did mail it, but it is somewhere in postal limbo. I'm hoping the cards arrive intact; one paper that I used seemed to have a waxiness to it that wasn't all that receptive to glue. I was even gluing down corners at the post office.

Finished Object.

2006-05-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

Or is it? Can one sock of a pair be called a finsihed object, or does it take two? No matter.

This is my first finished and kitchenered Jaywalker sock. It isn't a difficult pattern, easy to memorize the pattern repeats. I am not unhappy with the pooling in the foot portion, assume that happened because there are fewer stitches in the foot than the leg. Or it could be because the cat bit through the yarn while I was working the heel flap. I think it is the former.

A note of interest: I noticed a knitalong called The Behind the Times Knitalong, for knitters who are perpetually jumping on the band wagon and knitting last season's favorite project. I thought that described me perfectly and emailed asking if I could join. No answer. Is that a no, or is the administrator just behind the times?

However, it's spring and warming up, and I'm not losing sleep over that.

Comfort Knitting

2006-05-05T07:58:00.000-07:00

With the Shedir cap ready for another go 'round, I retreated to some comfort knitting, which would be socks for me. This is the Jay walker pattern using Knitpicks Sockgarden Stargazer Lily colorway. Sadly, that seems to have disappeared from their offerings.

This is actually the second sock of a pair but will soon be the first; I'm about to unravel its mate. When I tried the first on, I found that its length wasn't right for my leg, too long. And the foot was also too long because I kept knitting instead of looking for a measuring tape. I also discovered that I had "unvented" a non-standard double decrease by slipping the two stitches individually instead of together. I could have lived with that, simply repeating the mistake on the second sock, but for the problems with length.

For all of those knitters out there who can and do turn out pairs of socks in a weekend, if not overnight, I salute you. I've been knitting away at this pair of socks for slightly over two months, sometimes knitting other things at the same time, sometimes not. My lack of speed doesn't trouble me and I know enough about myself to not try to knit anything to meet a deadline. And I marvel at the speed of other knitters.

I've also been thinking about perfection. I came to terms with imperfection as soon as I had children, not that my children were anything less than perfection itself. Before children it seemed that I could get from point a to point b pretty much in a straight line; after kids it was a zigzag touching on a good many points from a to z and including fractional bits, too. At first this bothered me, but I learned to go with the flow and to enjoy that. Things got done, some immediately, some later.

So why did I unravel Shedir? I was thinking about how I might feel if suddenly I were faced with my own mortality, when every day I might feel as if I were living on the edge of an abyss. I would crave love and support. And as giver of the cap as a symbol of that love and support, I couldn't make it any less perfect than possible. If a mistake slipped past me, really slipped past, and I didn't know about it, I could except that. But there were those two uncrossed cables (and while they were a perfect metaphor for Moll Flanders as she constantly strayed) , and I saw them. I had to start over.

Will all of my knitting be stitch perfect? Not a chance. That sock in the picture? I was short a stitch in one of the pattern repeats and knew when it was time to kitchener the toes, that stitch would count. I increased one stitch in the middle of the pattern repeat. No qualms about that at all.

What To Do?

2006-05-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

This was supposed to be my project for Moll Flanders. I think of Moll as a survivor, and the pattern for this cap was originally designed as a chemo cap. As I worked on it, I saw the contined crossing of the cables as symbolic of Moll's life also. Nothing she did seemed to be a straight progression from point a to point b.

However, as I knit, I discovered an error, which doesn't show up well in the fuzzy picture. Twice as I worked through the pattern, I forgot to cross the cables. I wanted to think it was a problem with the pattern, but since I did cross the cables elsewhere in that row, I know it was a problem with my wandering attention.

I considered just finishing the hat, pretending that I didn't know, but I did know. I wouldn't let it go if I were knitting the hat for myself, and I'm not going to let it go when giving the cap away, even if the rows with 64 cable crosses take me over an hour to do. I don't know if that is the awkwardness of handling the cable needle, my own propensity to knit slowly, or just why.

So I'm frogging this hat, hope to get back to it soon, but I am dispirited. I will say the knitting of the hat progresses pretty quickly, with the exception of the 64-cable-crosses-to-a-row part.

2006-04-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

Even the trees have eyes.

I saw this "eye" when I was walking the other day. Too good to pass by without sharing.

Knitting news or lack thereof: I am still working on my sock, but unknitting it, hopefully to discover where I went wrong.

Teva Durham's Cabled Riding Jacket deserves to be restarted. Love both the pattern and the yarn, but I neglected several decreases which were integral to the design.

Need to weave in the yarn ends of the afghan square, work on the Moll project (I did cast on for this), and finish both of these projects.

Reading: I'm simultaneously reading Moll Flanders and One Thousand White Women (choices of two different bookgroups) and can't think of a stranger pairing. And I recently finished The Big Sleep on the recommendation of both Maureen Corrigan's Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading and Nancy Pearl's Book Lust, and did indeed enjoy the reading.

2006-04-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

KNIT THE CLASSICS AFGHAN SQUARE IN PROGRESS

I plan to add a border of the white yarn to the final two sides.

2006-04-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

WALKING

I haven't photographed the next sweater in my history yet. These photos were taken on my walk along the river yesterday. The tulip was just too beautiful not to include, although I was looking for Project Spectrum colors.

I've knitted some more of my Knit the Classics square, adding an off-white border. It looks quite nice to me. Need to photograph it too, and start working on the KTC Moll project. Have the yarn, pattern, needles, everything but the time. However, I would like to actually finish this book related project by the deadline of May 7th. I am not adept at meeting deadlines; this will be a personal challenge, like the Knitting Olympics.

2006-04-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

PROJECT SPECTRUM

I'm taking a break from my personal knitting history to post a picture of this lemon tart, very much an April Project Spectrum exploration of color.

The recipe is from the January 2000 issue of Cook's Illustrated. The sweet pastry dough was easy to work with and very tasty by itself. The lemon curd filling is intensely lemony and very smooth. All in all a successful baking experience.

2006-04-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

IN WHICH: SHE GETS GAUGE.

This sweater is perhaps the 3rd, maybe the 4th incarnation of a sweater knit with this yarn.

I had a pattern, I liked this yarn, obviously the two belonged together. Unfortunately, the orginal pattern was written for mohair. I started knitting, I ran out of yarn. Finally, someone or something acquainted me with Ida Riley Duncan and her two books, KNIT TO FIT and THE COMPLETE BOOK OF PROGRESSIVE KNITTING.

I read about gauge, taking measurements, lots of stuff my knitting friends didn't seem to worry about. Maybe they were knitting gauge swatches at night when I wasn't around.

I love this yarn, the color and the feel of it. It glows in the sunshine. It came from Condon and Sons, Prince Edward Island. I cannot find an internet address for them. Are they still in existence?

If you look carefully at the right sleeve, you may notice that it's a shade lighter. I ran out of the original dye lot. Notice too that the title of this blog is Slow Knitting. When I finally got it, that gauge in important? It was two years later. I knit slowly, okay? So I ordered another skein of "Fuschia", and it was a tad lighter. (I could have unravelled sleeve #1, and knit both sleeves alternating rows, one from skein A, one from skein B. That was too much even for my perfectionist nature.)

2006-04-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

One has to start somewhere. I'll start with a history of my knitting experience.

I knit my first sweater knowing nothing of gauge. I learned to knit by knitting a pair of mittens. Then, with the hubris of youth, I decided to knit a sweater. I went to a yarn store and purchased a pattern (probably, though I remember nothing about that) and yarn. I think the yarn may have been Lopi, though I really don't know. And then I knit the parts of a sweater, or almost all of the parts of a sweater before I ran out of yarn.

That this sweater, or a version of this sweater, still exists today, owes much to my mother's frugality. I left for college and left the sweater pieces behind. I knit scarves. My mother took the sweater pieces to a knitter friend, who unravelled it, added a second color to make the yarn go further, and knit a sweater. Mom sent it to me. It was a beautiful sweater, but.... While the knitting friend did add a second color, she did so by working a stranded pattern, which meant the sweater became twice as heavy, but not bigger. It fit like a 50's pin-up sweater, except that it was made of Lopi. I looked decidely Rubenesque. The sweater lives in my mother's cedar chest today, never worn, as far as I know.

Still without a clue about gauge, I knit a second sweater, a vest. I no longer have that sweater either. A room mate absorbed it into her wardrobe. The picture at the beginning of this post shows the pattern for that vest. My pattern came from Vogue Knitting, sometime in the 70's. That picture came from a 1994 issue of Family Circle Knitting. Mine was longer, I think. I was lucky with that sweater; I had enough yarn and my gauge must have been close, because it fit.

More scarves, and then my first knit for someone else. The dreaded boyfriend sweater, except that I knew nothing of the boyfriend sweater curse. That sweater is in the upper right corner. The relationship wasn't cursed for we've been married for thirty-one years and many more sweaters. Careful study of that picture might give the impression that the sweater was cursed. Note the elbow patches covering holes in the elbows. Note the line of crochet around the neck done to stabilize the neckline. Note the difference in color of the yarn on the inside and outside at the neckline. Note the knitted patch that was applied at the lower right. Note the deconstructionist unravelling at hem and on sleeves. The sweater wasn't cursed, it was loved to pieces.

I need to learn how to intersperse pictures with text before my next post when I take up this history again.