Spring has sprung...

Spring has finally arrived in NASCAR, PA. and it is a joy to behold. When my kids were younger we would always take afternoon walks and look for signs of Spring: daffodils, pussy willow, robins and gnomes (man do I miss Zoloft!). Anyway, nowadays signs of Spring include a dwindling tax refund, dealing with student supplications usually involving phrases like 'extension on my paper' and 'needing to graduate', not being able to fit in last Spring's already unstylish capri pants let alone contemplating buying new ones, and rushing around like a mad hatter from choir concert to orchestra practice to soccer game. But no matter, these things I take in stride because I love Spring. I must say it's primarily due to my affection for the color green and all its many hues and shades. Here you see pictured the back of a baby sweater that I am truly enjoying--note the chartreuse green bush in the background. At first I was attempting one of those '5 Hour Baby Sweater' jobbies, but I quickly discovered that any knitting pattern that has a supposed time limit stated explicitly in the project's title is a recipe for anxiety,frustration and feelings of inadequacy, so I frogged it and am leisurely working at my own pace on this one, which is inspired by the 'Even Danielle did it, again' Sweater from the Yarn Girls' Guide to Kid Knits book. I am doing mine in Jo Sharp Aran Tweed, one of my all time fave yarns. I am very excited to finish this and give it to my assistant, who is a lovely, solid Iowan embarking on motherhood for the first time. I know as a native Minnesotan I am technically not supposed to hold Iowans in high regard, but she is just so darn nice! In any case, I suppose that knitting a baby sweater is an appropriate way to auger in my favorite season. Knitters: Do you find yourselves motivated by a particular season?

Yarn gluttony, or the treachery of the trunk purchase...

For those of you wondering what the devil a 'trunk purchase' is, it's basically a situation where when bringing a newly purchased item into the house would cause your spouse so much tsorris (if he's Jewish) or agita (if he's Italian-American) that the best thing to do is to leave it in the trunk of your car until the coast is clear and you can sneak it into the house without causing him pain. How thoughtful of you!
When does stash enrichment become gluttony? When is too much of a good thing not a good thing? In continually acquiring yarn because a. it's on sale b. so perfect for some imagined future project c. terribly fabulous/soft/unusual/hard-to-find or d. you see some other intrepid knitter who must know something you don't buying it and suddenly have to have it, are we setting ourselves up for a lifetime of excess, awash in projects that will never become realized?
I am a yarn glutton and am on the verge of experiencing yarn gout.
The yarn you see pictured above is one hell of a trunk purchase, all gleaned from my playground pusher errr LYS which was having a mega-sale this week. Note it's location: the trunk of my car! Most of it is Swiss Chalet (discontinued!), Landlord (also discontinued!) and Two-Two (discontinued as well!) and unless I plan on spending the summer in Australia where the temperature would necessitate heavy woolens, these projects are all going to be for next year...

Pittsburgh Yarn Bonanza!

Anyone who is even slightly paying attention should know that I have no business whatsoever engaging in any sort of yarn bonanza, esp. after my recent trip to New York. But I went to Pittsburgh to pick up my parents at the airport and felt that a trip to Knit One was justified because a. I'd never been there before and b. I was in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood anyway and not going would seem weird, like I was trying to prove something. So I went, and I am so glad that I did--what a fantastic place!They were buzzing with enthusiasm after an in-store appearance by the Yarn Harlot herself and the staff were quick to describe in interesting detail her visit. The space itself is large and airy with a great view. Knit One is replete with many inviting, comfy nooks to knit and browse in, and the people who work there are among the friendliest and most knowledgable I've ever encountered.
In any new yarn store I am always first drawn to the sock yarn--for some reason it helps me gauge (ha,ha) what type of store it is. Knit One's sock yarn offerings did not disappoint--what a killer selection! I was finally able to purchase some Claudia's Hand Dyed Sock Yarn--this is 'Eat Your Veggies' and features my all-time favorite color combo of lime green and purple. Love it!
My daughters were immediately drawn to several (expensive) shawls and the staff was quick to suggest cheaper, more kid appropriate versions. My elder daughter chose some Mohair Kiss and is anxiously awaiting her mother to knit it into a shawl for her. Check out Miss Buttermilk in her special Easter Shawl done in Cascade 'Pima Mélange'.We had a great time at Knit One and I especially appreciated the staff's welcoming attitude to my daughters in tow--so frequently LYS types can't deal with the junior set,so I found their attitude refreshing. Two thumbs way,way up for Knit One!

Sheesh!

Is it any wonder that I can't get anything done with this type of monkey business going on? Honestly! I know that talking about my cat on my blog puts me at risk of entering a new pathetic category of woman in her 40s that talks about her cats as if anyone really cares, but why do cats feel the need to interfere? Granted this Irish Hiking Scarf happens to be taking up space on his special piece of living room furniture, but still....
I am happy with this scarf and it is certainly a lot o' fun to do, but I feel like somewhat of a dipstick when I see that most people have been doing this scarf on big-ass #10.5s and I'm plodding along on #8s. Damn you Filatura di Crosa 501 and your seductive ways! I could have been done with this a long time ago, but then again I wouldn't have been able to find this particular shade of chartreuse in another yarn, I feel. I am forever second-guessing myself with my projects, thinking "why didn't I do X project in X yarn using X pattern?". My best pal Babs declares that she is suffering from Knitting Asperger's Syndrome, which means that as a knitter you become totally overloaded by sensory input which causes you to shut down as a knitter and have to lie down whilst a maelstrom of potential knitting projects swirl about you. I can relate, Babs!

Knitting at work

Sometimes I really am reminded just how much I desperately need to get a life--seriously. You know you've crossed a line when you're knitting at work. I had the sudden realization that I think about knitting and yarn about as much as your average high school guy thinks about sex or beer--which is to say ALL THE TIME.
The picture you see here is my Mountain Colors Bearfoot sock in Ruby River, it's almost done. That's my desk you see it on. Yes, my desk--that place where I'm supposed to be grading papers, writing exams and generally at least pretending to look busy. During a mid-afternoon lull that no amount of caffeine or chocolate could cure (esp. when you're too lazy to even think about hauling your a$$ down to the coffee cart) it suddenly dawned on me that my new cell phone has a camera on it and that I could be using precious office time to post on my knitting blog! Eureka! Another tale of American workplace productivity done in by technology...So now that I've completely crossed this line of acceptabilty, perhaps I'll soon cross other lines, like 'knitting while driving'. My friend told me of a co-worker who saw a therapist that we all know and loathe who was actually crocheting during his therapy appointment. As much as I can't stand the woman, I totally understand how she got to that place. Does anyone else feel like knitting is starting to seep over into areas where it clearly should not?

OK, this can't be good...

The inchoate mess you see pictured above is what's remaining on the ball of my (beloved, discontinued!) Maratona. I'm not quite sure how I got here, but there you have it--one giant mess. As we say in Minnesota: Uff-da!!Pulling the loose strand from the middle seemed like a good idea at the time...In any case, I've got other more pressing issues to address as I knit up the Union Square Poncho from Weekend Knitting. My use of the expression 'Knit up' is rather misleading as it would seem to imply a quick, effortless even casual action--which is not at all what the Union Square poncho experience has been to say the least. It is taking f-o-r-e-v-e-r...and patience is not my strong suit.
What you see pictured above is only about 8 inches, and being the size queen that I am, 8 inches just isn't enough! I've been working on this project off and on since mid-January and can't imagine this ever becoming a poncho. A tea cozy, maybe. Or a cape for my cat...but a poncho? Ponchos will have gone out of style (not that they were every really in style, but let's move on), come back in style and gone out once more by the time I get this completed. How does the sound of Union Square Scarf grab you?

NYC Yarn Bonanza!

NYC Yarn Haul!
This weekend we were in NYC for the opening of my ex-husband's new store, a très hip home furnishings store in Brooklyn called Hasker--if you're on Smith Street, check it out. "That was so nice of you to come all this way..." people remarked. Those of you who live in a small town and are beholden to the whims of your LYS owners and their inscrutable ways could probably guess that there was more to this trip that altruism. Yes, this was an opportunity to enhance stash. So, without further ado....let me present my 18 hour A.D.D. yarn tour of NY:
Stitches East
Stitches East: Nothing spectacular, but at least it didn't live up to its reputation as 'Bitches East'--maybe the heavy hitters don't work Saturdays. I found the employees to be helpfulish although not overwhelmingly friendly. Their selection was fine and they had some killer needlepoint canvases, but this store didn't overly appeal to me as I was already familiar with most of the yarns they carry. The pleasure of a new yarn store is a combination between having brands you are familiar with and ones that you've heard the buzz about but have never seen before. At Stitches East I bought some Filatura di Crosa 501 to start the Irish Hiking Scarf with, you can see my progress below. All in all, Stitches East was fine, not great, just fine.

Purl Purl : Wow. The Robin's egg blue door on this joint was basically a gateway to paradise...Luckily I was on a budget at this point in my day because I could have done some serious damage here. I'm talking about the kind of damage that maxes out Amex cards and causes irreparable marital strife...Here I got some special Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn created just for Purl Soho (sad how I'm such a sucker for this type of marketing ploy). The employees were two totally adorable slacker/twee kids that were cheerful and helpful. My experience here was very positive, two thumbs way, way up!
Knitaway
My last visit was to the yarn store in NY that I am most familiar with, Knitaway on Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn. This store has a fantastic selection and is very large, esp. compared to the tight quarters at Purl. The owner is friendly albeit slightly nutty (don't even think about using her swift unless you have been trained by some sort of specialized winding guild, she's very touchy about that and don't ask to use the bathroom, ever). But I like her wiggy ways,she has a huge variety of yarn and she works her ass off every day of the week to give bratty knitters like me something to blog about! I bought some Cascade 220 Tweed from her and I can't wait to start in on it--after I wind it on my own, of course.

Sock therapy...

I'm still on a small side project detour that I have to say I am truly enjoying...Above you will see the second of a pair of socks that were started, let's just say, at a previous moment in time. The yarn is the most beautiful sock yarn I've yet to work with, Mountain Colors Bearfoot. This particular color is called Ruby River and is gorgeous. Sometimes I just sit and contemplate its most perfect form, a type of devotion I usually reserve for certain loveable Sanrio Characters. I have also recently started the 'Cables in Chamonix' sweater from the Yarn Girls Guide to Beyond the Basics book. Why this sweater? Well, being a French teacher and all and having a love for all things après-ski, this sweater just screamed Catherine Deneuve in 'Belle de Jour' so OF COURSE I'm doing it. It gives me an opportunity to explore my recent cable-obsession as well as knit with my favorite (discontinued!) Rowan yarn of all time, Cork.

Pinewood Derby=fabulous KIP opportunity!

For the first time in the history of the testoserone training ground that is the Boy Scout Pinewood Derby, Girl Scouts have been invited to participate, at least in our little corner of Nascar, PA. So Daughter #1 and Resident Marxist Curmudgeon crafted a car appropriate for the times, simply called "the Clicker". Built to resemble a t.v. remote control, the Clicker was apparently built for looks and not speed as the other cars in aformentioned daughter's heat had gravity on their side and defeated the Clicker with alacrity. You would think that a Physicist with two Ph.Ds could design a vehicle that would cross the finish line before the other cars (at least once!), but winning isn't everything, right? Of course you wouldn't know that from the uber-competitive parents at the Pinewood Derby. There was more than a little over zealous competitive spirit in that rec hall this afternoon. But daughter #1 handled her defeat with aplomb...
During the race I was able to make major progress on two little rinky-dink side projects that are providing this knitter with a mental break from other larger, more annoying projects. I finished the hat shortly after the race began, it's called the Cable and Rib Cap, a pattern taken from the the Knitting Pattern-A-Day Boxed Calendar. This particular pattern (Jan. 30) is just what the title says--a simple cable and rib pattern. I did it in some leftover Rowan Cork yarn in 'Very Berry'. Some of you might know that this fantastic yarn has been discontinued for reasons that do not make sense to a simple yarn enthusiast like me. But I enjoyed working with it again, it always feels nice to find a yarn in your stash that is suitable for a quick, fun FINISHED project. Doesn't the Resident Marxist Curmudgeon look positively adorable in the finished product?
The other project is the Lopi-Lace Scarf from Weekend Knitting by Melanie Falick. Despite the ridiculous cover of the book which features a bonny redhead with a skein of yarn wrapped around her neck, this book is a fantastic resource with excellent patterns. I am enjoying this scarf immensely and am hoping to finish it before the end of winter. The rough Lopi is a perfect counterpoint to the lace effect of the pattern. Loving it!

You gotta know when to fold 'em...

As that famed purveyor of chicken fried steak once sang, "you gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run...". And this girl is PACKING IT IN. This is me--FOLDING. I am refering to a certain sleeve of a certain Scandinavian/Japanese project. Said sleeve has been put away and will be returned to at a later date when enthusiasm and patience are not lacking. I spent the entire weekend in Bergen County, NJ with the inlaws save one trip to Majestic Yarns in Ridgewood, NJ where I used a gift certificate and got some beautiful Marble yarn from Karabella. I spent hours and hours of knitting on the sleeve and made unsatisfactory progress--so after much soul searching, this project is being put on the back burner. I figure that at some point it will be fun again, but now it's vaguely traumatic. It is the knitting equivalent of a hamster-wheel. You just keep going round and round but you don't actually get anywhere.
The decision to temporarily suspend the above project frees me to either a. work on another unfinished project (drag) or b. start up another project (yes, pick that one!). So without further ado I am going to begin my next project which is either the Hourglass sweater from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts or the Marble Shawl-collar Sweater from Karabella or maybe even the Gesta vest, although that pattern is from the Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton book that the above-mentioned sleeve is from, so that one is slightly unlikely. We'll see!

Klaralund=mental illness

There are times when I wish I were still on Wellbutrin, Effexor and esp. Zoloft (GOD I loved Zoloft). You name it. I'd start huffing Comet right now if I thought it would take the pain away. Let me just say that Klaralund is a mind numbing endeavor that is pushing me to the brink of insanity. The process of sleeve completion is forcing me to question everything around me. I'm asking questions I've never asked myself before like "..do I really enjoy knitting?". Yes, it's THAT bad. Somehow the sleeves have propelled me into an Alice in Wonderland-like dimension where time is distorted and doesn't correspond to any familiar sense of reality. Example: knitting for an hour and a half at mach speed and only making an inch of progress...help. This is bad. Also, the pattern calls for the 'extended garter stitch'--whatever the hell that is--to me it just looks like you made a bunch of mistakes and kept trying to get it right. I'm going to visit the inlaws this weekend in Northern NJ and am determined to come back to PA with both sleeves finished or else...

Klaralund : kicking my flabby white ass

Well, the baby socks are done (if you look closely they sort of vaguely look like a pair, but it's the thought that counts, right? RIGHT?!!) and represented a much needed break from the tedium of the Klaralund sleeve. Mary Mother of God, make it END!! I've only got 12 inches of one sleeve and have an entire other one to do. The Lone Knitter had a great suggestion: why not switch out the baby socks for my Knitting Olympics project and call it a day? Believe me, it's tempting for sure...but a deal is a deal, right? So I soldier on, even though my new project--the Hourglass sweater in Karabella Aurora 8 in fuschia--is all set, swatched and ready to go. Added enticement: my best pal Babs and I are doing it together. But she has her own sleeve debacle to deal with at the moment...Obviously I'm DOA for the Olympic Deadline, but being an academic I've set my sights on finishing the sweater "during Spring Break". Yes, spring break, that magical expanse of time when all is made right: drawers are cleaned, papers are graded, dietary excesses are corrected and unfinished knitting projects are completed. Stay tuned...

Baby Sock Interlude: They Don't Call it A.D.D. for nothin'!

Nothing like almost finishing a project--in this instance the Klaralund sweater--and having your mind start racing a hundred miles an hour, desperate to ditch said project and begin another one. How can I possibly finish this project when i don't even know what my next one will be? Luckily I ran into a local knitting maven at the LYS who was just finishing up a baby sweater for a friend who has had a spate of terrible luck, has just given birth to a bouncing baby boy and for whom we're happily having a baby shower this weekend. "Look--can you keep a secret? I knit ______ a sweater for her baby. Do you think she'll like it?". Now I know a rhetorical question when I hear one, mind you, but I was dumbstruck at the notion that _I_ hadn't knit anything for said friend and baby. Being the competitive bitch err good pal that I am, I realized that I had to get on the stick! So, Klaralund has been on a 48 hour furlough whilst I quickly whip up some newborn socks in Opal Rodeo sock yarn. My digi camera has a way of making all my projects looks fugly, but I am pleased with this sock. It's very tiny and therefore will be finished in time for the shower...and then it's back to the existential void that is Klaralund.

More Klaralund progress...

There is progress on the Klaralund front--both the front and back are completed, I am now feverishly attempting to finish the sleeves by Friday. The A.D.D. knitter has been having a hell of a time staying on task here, esp. since the much anticipated shipment of Kochoran has arrived and the only thing preventing me from casting on a new project with it (the Gesta vest from the same book as Klaralund) is that I'm using the needles for the Christmas Sleeve (see below). But the end is in sight and I am stoked!

Favorite Olympic Televiewing Moments While Knitting:
-Anything to do with Snowboarding. I feel that any sport that cranks Green Day as it gives functioning stoners of America an outlet is a good thing. Added bonus: awesome lingo!
-Curling. Any endeavor that allows pastey white Canadians with 80's hairstyles call themselves athletes is another good thing.
-Men's Skating. I cannot watch Jonny Weir and his antics without thinking of those famous other skating drama queens of yore, Rudy Galindo and Philippe Candeloro. You go girls!
-Women's Speed Skating. Any sport where women with big thighs are rewarded and valued is a tremendously good thing. Added bonus: the Dutch in general.
-Hockey. As a native Minnesotan, I will always have a fondness for hockey players. They're just hot. Period.

Note to self: just knit

Sometimes I feel like I get so wrapped up in the para-knitting activities of going to different yarn stores and comparing and contrasting what they have vs. what's in my stash vs. what I actually need--which if we're talking need-- is no yarn until at least 2009, reading knitting magazines that for the most part suck and have impractical designs made of hideous yarn (not you Interweave Knits but Vogue Knitting and Knitters, if the shoe fits....), obsessively checking my blog and about 15 others blogs (no, not just for buttons, I do actually read the content AND post comments) that I waste alot of time that I could actually just be knitting. One of the reasons that knitting initially appealed to me was that there was a tactile pleasure involved. Somehow with all of the obsessing about the activities that surround knitting I've gotten away from the pleasure of the fibre itself. So during this knitting Olympiad I am also going to set a new challenge for myself, that of just knitting.

Klaralund progress...

OK my people, there is progress to report! I have finished the back of Klaralund and am now debating between casting on the sleeve (for sheer gratification of doing something quick) or doing the front (slow and steady wins the race). I'll decide tomorrow...of course the ADD has reared its ugly head in that I just received a shipment of beautiful Noro Kochoran, enough to make a sweater, but I've promised myself to finish this Klaralund sweater before I even think about taking that yarn out of the shrink wrap. Must-concentrate-must-concentrate....

Let the Games Begin!

Knitting Olympics!

I am undertaking the Yarn Harlot and one of my LYS's Knitting Olympic Challenge: cast on a project during the opening ceremonies, knit away during the Winter Games, and finish your project before the closing ceremonies, which incidentally will never in a thousand years be as pointless and tacky as the opening cermonies...my beloved resident Marxist really was in utter disbelief at the pyrotechnics displayed, at one point wondering "What are they trying to do, make the Olympics seem like a joke? Why don't they have Elton John lowered down out of the sky, nothing better than a screaming queen to enliven the show!". When I assured him that a. all Olympic opening cermonies are tacky as hell and that b. Italian television is famous for glitzy, over the top schmaltzy variety shows, he understood a little more. He was insensed nonetheless.
Anyway, I will be completing the Klaralund sweater for my Olympic challenge. It's from the Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton Noro book #2 and has been featured in many knit alongs. It's done out of Silk Garden and promises to be a worthy opponent. In usual "I can't wait I must have it now" fashion I ordered the book and the yarn together from Webs as no LYS store carried the color I needed. I ordered the 11 balls I needed, the book arrived, replete with errata sheet that said that 'oops! you need 3 more balls'. No problem, except for the fact that Webs was out of the particualr dye lot I needed. Oy gevalt! Luckily Yarnmarket had it and I'm in business...

I am not a total loser

Occasionally I do finish things. Yes, it happens. Case in point: the above mittens were all done in a three-week period. I know the whole thing sounds rather bi-polar of me, but sometimes knitting is useful for avoiding things like day-job type of stuff. On the top you see two pairs of 'Big Mexico' mittens, made for rotten children of yours truly. Below them behold two pairs of Lorna's Laces mittens. All were knitted on two needles, I am now working on a kick-ass pair out of 'Big Print' on double pointed needles. (See below). Don't the colors just scream 'Roots-Rock-Reggae'?

So I have this little problem...

...I can't finish a blasted thing! I have so many projects on the go that I am contemplating ripping out several projects so as not to give the impression that I am actually insane. These unfinished projects fall into several categories. Most represent an initial élan that went unsustained. Others are one half of a pair of socks--see above picture-- that I "needed to take a break from" (?) and then couldn't muster the necessary enthusiasm and level of concentration to finish the second half of the duo. There are a lot of these. Perhaps the most bizarre category of unfinished projects are those that happen because I "really needed the needles" for another project that probably invariable ended up in one of the first two categories. Now you have an idea of the labyrinth of bad habits that plague me and my "fun hobby".