Shawl Seduction

I seem to have succumbed to the lure of the shawl. I have found myself mostly buying shawl quantities of yarn and the sole Ravelry patterns that make my heart go humpa-pumpa are tagged with 'shawl', and 'wrap'. This is quite hilarious to me as when it comes to wearing a shawl, I have absolutely no idea how it is best done. I can't even imagine it. Sometimes when I see a pattern, I envision myself wrapped in a shawl as I lead students through a difficult yet enlightening reading of Rimbaud while grasping a hot cup of tea for warmth. This vision usually gives way to the recognition that during class I tend to be covered in chalk, many students didn't do the reading and are therefore texting and not into the whole close reading thing, and that I'm more of a vending machine coffee person anyway (DON'T JUDGE there's a secret machine on campus that makes coffee that tastes like European train coffee). Next comes the unfortunate realization that the shawl would most likely be there to cover up the lunch stains on the front shelf rather than to shield me from the draft . Alas...I still love knitting the shawl as it is the most gratifying of knits. After blocking it you find yourself marveling at it, the same way that a non-knitter would. "Gee, I really made that...". And no hand knit gift is more warmly received.


Right now I have two on the go that are at various stages of completion. I began the Leaf Lace Shawl a little over a month ago thinking that I'd wear it for Easter. Ha! Today I realized that Easter was a week from today...but won't this be great for Memorial Day? I'm doing it out of some Silky Malabrigo 'Narciso' on size 9s and I sort of wish I would have gone down a needle size as the 9s feel gigantic in my hands, but I have made it this far and am not about to rip it out. This pattern is one of the most intuitive patterns ever--at any given time, you just know right where you are, and I like that.


This weekend I was casting about for more patterns to start and thus began Icarus, i.e., the shawl that has tested the patience of many. I am attracted to it because à la Ishbel, the first 40 hours or so are spent on a giant, fairly plain almost-as-mindless-as-stockinette section. I figure once I hit the pattern section, tedium will have fried my brain and I'll be ready for something new. I chose two skeins of Jitterbug 'Whirly Fig' that had been languishing in the stash for a while. I'm not putting an end date on this one, but since my Labor Day is wide open, why not spend it blocking a shawl?

I also have my eyes on the Springtime Bandit. KG has yet to steer me wrong, and as Ashley pointed out, the model on the pattern might have found the optimum way to wear a shawl. Of course I'm afraid that I'll look like the Frito Bandito or one of those doughy people that have the 'dress like a baby in diapers and a bib' fetish, but she and the other Flickr peeps make assurances to the contrary. I inexplicably have no yarn that would fit the fill for this pattern, so maybe this can be the pretext under which I go to MDS&W this year...

Knitivism

This past Friday the students on our campus staged a knit-in event at the student union in order to raise awareness (and $$$) about the genocide in Darfur. Earlier in the week I had been a guest knitter (!!) in a Women's Studies class that was also participating in the event. Beyond selfishly wondering about whether I had finally crossed the magic threshold which would allow all my yarn to become tax-deductable seeing as I was (sort of) teaching a knitting class, I was truly inspired by the will and determination of the Knitivists.

With the exception of the excitement generated during the last election, this campus tends to be one of the lesser politically engaged ones I've been at (unless beer drinking is a political act, cuz in that case this might very well be one continual May '68 round these parts). I was raised by two rabble rousers myself and admit that as an undergrad I might have handed out leaflets for a leftie organization and picketed a few meat packing plants because a. these were interests of mine and b. I was desperately trying to hang on to a dead-end relationship with the president of the progressive student organization on campus and pathetically making sure that no other PIRG chicks were horning in on my territory. (Scott S. if you are reading this you still owe me $40 and I want all my Paul Auster novels back). So it was exciting to see this activism on campus and I am glad to say that the students are a good deal more committed than yours truly was back in the day.


Students came by and the group talked to them about Darfur and taught them to knit. I chitchatted with several of the students and enjoyed seeing so much interest in both causes. My only regret is that I didn't bring some smaller wooden needles to donate as I wonder if trying to learn on those giant aluminum needles isn't much harder than it needs to be...

Both events were exciting. One of the joys of working on a college campus is that there are groups for every possible interest. This weekend my Harajuku Hoop arrived from Hoopnotica, and ever since I have been trying to get the hang of hooping. (Thanks Stephanie for the inspiration!) My next mission is to hook up with the campus Hoopers and really revisit my youth...

New for Spring: Pond Scum

So the stink eye from the rejected skein of STR for Ishbel was too much for me. I had to knit it up right away, it was an imperative. And I am so glad I did! I wore this cowl on an early morning brisk walk around the borough (Keystone State REPRESENT). It felt so lovely to have Pond Scum around my neck. And I have now just written the most unlikely sentence ever in the history of knitblogging.

The Specs
Pattern: Anniversary Cowl by Orinda5
Yarn: Socks that Rock Lightweight, Pond Scum. This pattern calls for two strands held together, and I was happy to oblige.
Needles: Size 7

The springy-sproinginess of this pattern and yarn combo cannot be overstated. This might be one of my favorite cowls ever! I'm surprised that more knitters haven't given this pattern a try, it's completely mindless knitting and I know that everyone reading this has some extra solid sock yarn around. Notice I said SOLID. Variegated yarn would be a mistake. Even tragic.

Last week's concert was transcendent. We had such a great time in Pittsburgh: the Curmudgeon, who was behind the wheel, actually drove to Knit One on his own, without any cajoling or simpering on my part, parked in front and said "Oh, I mean, this is where you wanted to go first, right?". He then proceeding to go to the back table, slump over and take a half hour nap. When he came to he asked "So, what did you get?". It is best not to try to understand his curious ways and just accept his mercurial nature.


What I got was some Koigu, a sock yarn for which I have a renewed liking. When I look at my Ravelry page, I see that I have actually been a prolific sock knitter at one time in my life, and I'm trying to get back to that place even though I cannot even image what that would look like. Yes, such is my current mindset of alienation from the socks. I'm thinking about some plain stockinette socks, just to reacquaint myself with the whole sock thing. But I'd be willing to entertain suggestions if you have any...

File Under: Long Term WIP Round-Up!

There is nothing more satisfying that serving up a hot plate of Finished Object on this blog. For such a purpose cowls, hats and mittens exist--they're fast, fun and finish quite quickly. However currently I seem to be working on several long term projects whose end is nowhere in sight. Time for a round-up!

1.) The Katharine Hepburn Cardigan, filed under 'what the &*%*^% was I thinking??':



Oh sure, she's a beaut. And that Louet Gems is quite aptly named. But an XL cardigan in Sport Weight on size 5 needles? Really? Please also factor in the fact that because it's a cable and lace project, you don't get any respite on the WS--your ass is knitting in pattern on both sides. The project was put away last summer and relegated to the 'you are dead to me (zzzz) zone of Ravelry' , but recently I've pulled it out hoping that maybe the new improved me were somehow faster and more skilled now. And no, as it turns out, my skills are still the same and this mother is going to take foreveeer...

2.) The Modern Quilt Wrap, filed under 'Can I pay you to just finish this for me?'



Babs is currently sporting one of these that her mother made and it is a stunner. Big Babs if you're reading this: I WORSHIP YOU. I love this it. I want it. The Silky Wool is a joy. And the mitred squares are fun. And I don't even mind the weaving in the ends part. But man alive this is taking a toll on me. I spent two full days last week only working on it and a. made scant progress and b. felt like I was a turn-of-the-century garment industry worker. So if you're looking for some extra cash...

3.) The Classic EZ 'Brooks' Sweater, filed under 'Only to be worked on when you're not pissing me off'.



I had been wanting to give the Berocco Inca Gold a whirl for quite some time, and given my love for the EZ lifestyle, this pattern seemed like a no-brainer. The problem with this one is the recipient: a certain little doom-and-gloom forecaster that we like to call the Curmudgeon. Folks this New Economic Reality® represents for him a huge 'I told you so moment' as he wags his finger at the responsible parties (read: everyone) but also a time of extreme worry and doubt. Which is expressed as negativity. At me. So yeah--I love him dearly, but the second he starts ranting, this sweater is PUT AWAY. You will note that I am 9 inches into it. Will I make it to attach the sleeves? Only the Dow Jones knows!

Tonight I am going with the Curmudgeon to see the only person on this planet that can spew bile in a more uplifting fashion than him.


Happy Happy Joy Joy!

Matchmaker, Matchmaker

I knew Ishbel was in my future once I saw Yahaira's unbelievably gorgeous rendition over on Flickr. Because this pattern called for sock yarn for non-sock purposes, we were meant to be. After many Flickrpeeps' suggestions, I decided on the Hazel Knits in 'Euphorbia'. This decision was a tough one. Véro and others made the case for 'Pond Scum' and as it is now giving me the stink eye from the bottom of the yarn pile, I might have to break it out for some socks.

I was going gang busters as my dad would say on the stockinette portion of Ishbel and then totally ran out of gas when I hit the lace chart. I mean everything came to a grinding, screeching halt. Luckily all it took to get going again was seeing Miss Abundance's version and her little words of encouragement to keep going and I was on a roll once again. Thanks Lisa!

The Specs
Pattern: Ishbel by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Hazel Knits Sock Yarn in 'Euphorbia'
Needles: Size 6
Mods: I made the smaller one but can well imagine that the larger version in a dk weight might kick some serious ass.

The shots above remind me of many hours of neighborhood hijinx playing 'Fiddler on the Roof'. All the girls would grab a dish towel and twirl around belting out the songs from our driveway Anatevka. Enjoy:

Classy Grassy

I know I've written before about almost not being able to use certain yarns because of the stoopid names they've been given. 'Princess' feels like it's targeted at a demographic that I want to do everything in my power to disassociate from. 'Angel Kiss' makes me throw up in my mouth a little. 'Eco-Wool' seems to play on our ever increasing green guilt and somehow smells a little fishy. And well 'Classy' basically makes me want to poke my eyes out with the nearest knitting needle. Luckily such superficial considerations didn't prevent me from using some Dream in Color (also deeply dorky but I'll let it slide) from the stash for a quick birthday present for my gorgeous pal Meredith.

My pattern of choice in this instance is LB's Grassy. I had made one last year in a rush and somehow short changed myself from really enjoying the pattern. I think I was in such a rush that I might have even bound off early--wtf? Anyway--this week I was in the right frame of mind to enjoy it, and did so immensely. If you are on the hunt for a fast cowl, Larissa Brown is your new BFF.

The Specs
Pattern: Grassy by Larissa Brown
Yarn: DIC Classy in 'Lagoon', about a third of a skein. This yarn is so much more appealing knit up than it is on the skein.
Needles: Size 7
Mods: I went up a needle size to make sure it wasn't too tight. I also made sure to steam block it as Larissa suggested to make the lace really stand out. My approach to steam blocking involves boiling some water in a pan and holding the cowl over it. Although I would sell an organ for a Rowenta, this far less sexy routine does do the trick.


Tomorrow begins the week long expanse of time known as spring break. You know you are getting old when these words connote not drinking with your shirt off in Daytona but rather staying home and knitting. My projects? Finishing Ishbel, casting on the Libby sweater for Peeper-Lou and finishing the Modern Quilt Wrap, a project that consists entirely of mitred squares in Silky Wool. Way more exciting than jello shots and Coppertone capers, right?

Sweet Treat

I seem to be Single White Female-ing KK and her luscious designs as of late. I am starting to think of Through The Loops as the band whose album you automatically buy, no matter what, on the day it comes out (which apparently explains why I own Lovesexy). All the Water? Got it. Breathe Deep? Downloaded. Joni-Reykjavik-Dr. G's? check check CHECK. But somehow I missed Confection when it came out, and so stumbling upon it on Ravelry was extra thrilling, kind of like finding the 12" import with an awesome b-side...have I adequately dated myself yet? No matter. Confection is perfection.

The Specs
Pattern: Confection by Kirsten Kapur of Through the Loops
Yarn: MadTosh Sport Merino in 'Poprocks', 1 skein
Needles: Size 6 addi turbo lace needles. Have you tried these yet? Unbelievable. Something about the dull finish and the extreme pointiness of the tips make the whole experience just that more sweet.
Mods: Because I went up in needle size I cast on one fewer repeat.

This is a super-fast cowl and the resulting garment reminds me of a 1950's birthday party. The hot pink is so perfect for this project, it's making my teeth hurt. I'm keeping this little sugar baby for myself;)

Next up for me is the pattern that's sweeping the nation: Ishbel. Yahaira's sent me over the brink, and after much deliberation and a lot of input from Flickrpeeps, I've cast on using a skein of my girl Wendee's Hazel Knits Euphorbia. I knew it had to be green as I'm hoping to conjur up some spring around these parts!

A Year (and some) in hats, and one more.

Bartholomew Cubbins has nothing on me. I tallied my hat production over the past 16 months or so and came up with the startling number of 24. Whew! Even a child of the 80s given to wretched excess such as myself has to recoil a bit at that number. My first impulse was to somehow make the assertion that 'well over half of them were given away as gifts....right?' Umm, no. Wrong on that account: only five were for others. So...yeah. We gotta lotta hats around this joint. And here's one more:




The Specs:
Pattern: Thorpe by Kirsten Kapur
Needles: Size 8 Magic Loop
Yarn: Pigeonroof Studios Worsted in 'Pea Soup'; Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK in Shade for the crocheted edge
Mods: I did the first 10 odd rows in Magic Loop because I cannot for the life of me get those fiddly dpns to behave on the starting rows. I think that the gauge is slightly too tight and probably should have done the hat on size 9 needles, but I am really happy with this hat. Another TTL winner!


Many of you suggested doing something in garter stitch to highlight the hand spun, and this hat hat does fit the bill. The Curdmudgeon is always asking for a hat that covers his ears, and this hat certainly does just that.

I am extra pleased with how this hat turned out because a. my first one was such an epic fail and b. it allowed me to pop in at Stitch Your Art Out and get my pal Cynthia to help me with the half double crochet, because I am crochet impaired. She sat with me and patiently helped me get the hang of it. Once I got home I had this Youtube video open the entire time and that helped as well.

Well I hope to take a break from my hat drill as I am out of enthusiasm as well as ideas. Besides after seeing Coraline all I want to do is make these.

Can't Stop. Must. Make. More.

The Turn-A-Square continues to occupy my thoughts as it's allowing me to both delve into the recesses of the stash for perennial workhorses like Noro while at the same time exploring new colors like my current obsession, Lamb's Pride Worsted 'Silver Streaks at Nite'. (I'm a sucker for stoopid spelling like 'nite'--guess that 'ght' is not long for this world).

Way back in the early days of being an lys accolyte at the table--you know, the table where you sit and knit and knitters that know better than you tell you everything you (never) wanted to know about their medical history and dysfunctional marriages, occasionally knitting would come up and people would make solemn pronouncements like "...never knit with black. Black is impossible to knit with". Somehow I accepted statements such as this one as axiomatic truth, because the more experienced knew so much more than me. It is for this reason that when I saw 'Silver Streaks' I initially internally scoffed at the notion, because, you know, black is forbidden and all, but upon further inspection I knew that it was destined to work. And now I want nothing less than an entire sweater out of this color. In your face, knitting trolls...


The Specs
Pattern:Turn a Square by Jared Flood
Yarn: Noro Yuzen (#1), almost a full skein and Lamb's Pride Worsted 'Silver Streaks at Nite', a half a skein. The Yuzen is a new one for me, and it's a winner. Although the gauge isn't a perfect match with the Lamb's Pride, the two together worked out fine . Babs has declared Lamb's Pride to be the most undervalued yarn around, and I must say that I agree.
Needles: Size 7
Mods: None

This photo shoot is brought to you courtesy of the campus Botany Greenhouse, which was a welcome sight during today's sinister wintry mix. Its lush green foliage and thick, humid air were just what my model and I were needing to brighten our slog across campus. As you can see, I'm back to my trick of enlisting beautiful Frenchies to spice it up around here...

Felicity

Thanks for the walk down memory lane with all of your 70s reminiscences--just seeing the word 'Shasta' again was a pure delight. Sometimes I question how sentient I really am when I do things like see a hat on Flickr, obsess over how amazing it is, rush off to Ravelry to queue it only to find out that Oops! I've already queued that one, and recently, too! Isn't aging and the deterioration of one's mind fabulous? I suppose making Alzheimer's jokes really isn't funny for obvious reasons...Let's chalk such moments up to mucho Mary Jane in the 1980s and not contemplate other far less appealing genetic explanations, ok?

The Specs:
Pattern: Felicity by Wanett Clyde
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Suri Merino in Seamist, one skein exactly
Needles: size 6 and size 8 needles
Mods: I cast on 90 sts and went from there. I also made a poofier top by doing an extra set of increases, but I like the Jiffy-Pop shape of it and feel that it's a hat that might be worthy of everyone's fave knockaround pal, Strawberry Shortcake.

The shape of this hat it was sets it apart from the others--it is so versatile. It seems modern and yet there is a touch of whimsy in there as well. If you're looking for some stockinette therapy, this is your next hat pattern--just make sure to choose a yarn that will flop around a bit.

I guess you could say I'm on a major roll with the whole hat thing. I figure I've got the rest of the year to fuss over socks, sweaters and shawls--right now I am 100% hat centric and am loving it. And after Felicity I have even more in the pipeline!

70s Ski Hat

I believe I might have been a tad hasty when I said in a fit of self-loathing that I wanted to ditch my stash. Let's face it, it is because of the Ye Olde Yarne Shoppe on the third floor that the following series of events could take place:
- search on Ravelry for 'men's' hat patterns
- click on the Purl Bee blog after finding the precise type of hat I was looking for, scanning the yarns required and realizing that while I don't have those precise colors in Casscade 220, I most certainly do in Brown Sheep Nature Spun and some random Classic Elite Wings for a faux cashmere lining
- send my eager shop girl Peeperlou upstairs with a basket to fill my order
- and voilà, I am in business.

Whitney, that author of the pattern, talks about how this hat reminds her of her childhood in the 70s, and I so agree. My older brother (class of '76) always wore a hat like this when he was listening to his Bread albums on his 8-track tape player while drinking Dr. Pepper (a profoundly 70s beverage) and using his Presto Hot Dogger machine. Laura made a joke on Flickr that this hat made her want to have fondue and watch Matchgame--the Seventies possibilities are endless! I just had to make this hat for strictly nostalgic purposes...

The Specs:
Pattern: Whitney's 70s Ski Hat
Needles: Size 7
Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted in "Goldenrod", "Orange You Glad", "Nordic Blue" and "Spring Break"; Classic Elite Wings #2385 for the lining.

This might be the first time I've made a hat for two people to share. One of the recipients (class of '78) loves the color orange so I wasn't worried that it would be too loud--and luckily they are both amenable to the sharing concept. I'm doing this type of 'two birds with one stone' knitting more often!


The Manos Silky Blend you see pictured above represents another first--it might be the first time I have purchased yarn out of sheer humiliation. While in NY, me and my large purse and even larger rear end paid a little visit to the Point. You might know this very cramped store with huge tables that take up almost all of the space in the joint from the Spiders fame? In any case, there is not a lot of breathing room in there. So as I was fondling the Manos display I made a misstep, turned around and my purse swung around and sent a gigantic display basket filled with loud, clattering hangers off a ledge and down a staircase. "Hi! Don't mine me, I'm just visiting from out of town!!". Yes--there were disapproving glares and looks of incomprehension and mild disdain. Covered in shame, you see, I had to purchase the yarn in my hands at that point--it was my only option.

Ufserud : Norwegian for 'to buy more yarn'.

My quest to continue knitting from the stash has taken two steps forward and one step back. The two steps forward part is Ufserud, a Bea Ellis hat kit that I purchased last year during a fit of flickr envy and have just completed. When I ordered the kit I requested a bold red and a very white white. Upon inspection the colors just seemed way too bright, almost Bicentennialesque, and I suddenly became concerned that my hat was going to be utterly goy-tastic. So I put the kit away on the third floor and went about my usual monkey business. Then during the winter break and my visit to Minneapolis I came upon the full line of Dale of Norway Heilo at the Yarnery and it dawned on me that tweaking the colors ever so slightly (read: buying more yarn) would rectify the situation--so I switched in an oatmeal (#9331) for that brite white (#17) and the game was on.

The Specs
Pattern: Ufserud by Bea Ellis
Yarn: Heilo in #9331 and #4137, lining Sandes Garn Mandarin #0473
Needles: Size 5, 16 inch circ
Time: about a week
Mods: There were a few. I omitted one repeat after reading about the tendency of this pattern to go gigantic--and even with this modification this hat is big (which I don't mind). I also did a few more decrease rounds at the crown for a tighter join. And rather than sewing the lining in I did the old provisional cast-on and knit the lining together with the working yarn after a few inches.



In addition to the new Heilo mentioned above, I also recently had the good fortune to obtain a super luscious skein of the much coveted Pigeonroof Studios handspun heavy worsted merino in 'Pea Soup'. I had no idea a. how unbelievably appealing this stuff was and b. how impossible it is to get your hands on it. I stumbled upon the Etsy site and there was this one skein left--my survivor/self-preservation instincts kicked in (?) and I selfishly nabbed it. Just in time for Handspun February! I have 145 yds. of this--any ideas?