Knitting: Forging ahead

So, I've been plunging ahead on my knitting projects. Last week, I managed to FINISH a couple of things even!

First up the Travelling Woman shawlette. Had I known how much yarn this project actually took, I would have made it larger and with more repeats. I now have a decent sized ball left, still to be weighed, but I might eke out a pair of anklets, kid socks, or just save for future color work projects.

I don't have much notes on this project, except that it's quite a simple and easy lace piece. It was quick to knit and I didn't have too many problems, except a dropped stitch towards the end. All in all, not too bad.



Next I finished the first sock of the SKA Mystery Sock challenge for July. I was going to immediately cast on the 2nd sock, but I needed a little break.



So for the "break" I started another sock with some reclaimed yarn. The pattern is VORTEX by Chrissy Gardner. It's a heavily cabled pattern that I am really enjoying. The yarn was originally being used in the Dude Abides, however this colorway had a bit of green that matched too well with the MC green and the colorwork didn't POP as nicely as I wanted. I had a fair amount of that foot done, too, so it was hard to pull out, but.... I did it. I am happy with my choice and made a lot of progress on it this weekend (though the photo doesn't show how much more I really knit).



I'm considering casting on the 2nd sock as soon as I finish the gusset increases. I'm thinking, doing them side by side might help me to finish quicker? Or else REALLY tire of the cable pattern, we'll see.

And on Sunday while working on the Vortex, I had a couple of rough spots, so after like the 3rd one, I decided it was going in time out. I had my other yarn with me of course, so I cast on the 2nd sock for the Ska Mystery sock. I'm more than half way through the toe increases and hope to start the colorwork part of the pattern this evening.

Progress all around and... I've been really turned on by some Janel Laidman patterns. I bought her 2nd book a couple of months ago on a trip to Bargain Yarns. It's called the Enchanted Sole. The patterns are all pretty intricate... but wow oh wow are they cool. Also on the horizon is a pattern from the latest issue of Knitscene. It was some very pretty all over cable work that would be quite pretty on some of my solid yarns. BUT first... the projects at hand.

August is an "off" month for the Ska Challenges, so I'll have a bit of a break. I should be getting the Blue Moon Sock club installment within the next couple of weeks so that might be a new project for me AND I have some baby projects that need started as well as Christmas knitting. I'm starting early people, I need to space this stuff out, there never seems to be enough time!

Miranda Sue - July 1998/July 15th, 2010

She was Miranda, Miranda Sue, Mir-mir, Mirmaid, princess, my sweet girl. I don't quite remember how we found each other. I mean I remember some of it. I was back home visiting my family and my room-mate Josh was just about to move out. He had a cat, which is why I didn't while we lived together. So since he was going, I decided to bring one home. I checked the local ads while there and found some kittens out in the country. I think these people had just found the mom and let her have the babies in their garage. By the time I had seen the ad, the kittens weren't quite babies anymore. They were bigger, say teens. She was about 4 months old, I think and just infested with fleas. Ugh! It was quite sad. And again, I don't know how we picked each other, but we did. We were a good match. I brought her home and cleaned her up.

After I returned to Columbus, I made her first vet appointments and got her checked out. That was 12 years ago. A few months ago I started to notice some lumps on her abdomen. My first thought was fatty tumors that pets can get. But they started to grow and she started to slow. I knew it was worse and I put off the doctor visit for too long probably. Just didn't want to face the inevitable I guess. But last weekend, she just didn't seem quite great. She was still very aware and would talk to you and listen, she didn't seem in pain, but I decided we needed to see the doctor. I took her on Tuesday and they did an aspiration. The tests results became available while I was there tonight. It was definitely carcinoma. The doctor told me on Tuesday it would probable affect her lungs and breathing. She was breathing heavy while there, but I thought it was just the stress. It wasn't.

So on Wednesday, we cuddled a lot. I cried a lot and she just looked at me like, "Mom, you're crazy!" We had an appointment today to get an x-ray of her lungs. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized, I just needed to let her go and not prolong her fight for breath and my emotions.

I came home, took the photo above. Made some ink paw prints and off to the doctor we went. I tried to hold it together and she just sat quiet and patient. The doctor came in and I was unhinged. Dr. Martin is very sweet and kind and totally understood. We talked about her condition. She said we could try steroids for the breathing, but they may not work. Again, I think it would just prolong the agony.

I was able to spend a few more minutes with her and hold her paw while she went to sleep. I feel so incredibly bad, and I know it will pass but my heart is broken for her. And I still can't believe she's gone. Kind of poetic that I found her in July and let her go in July.

These are old photos from her younger days and the last few are from tonight at the office.

Knitting: A new shawl in the works

I'm amongst a myriad of projects right now. As per my usual, I have several things going on at once. Usually this is quite haphazard, I just cast on something new because to be working on one thing is mind-numbing and oh look shiny....

Not this time though. While I have this multiple thing going on, it's done in a very constructive way. It has an almost linear feel to it.

Tour De Fleece - on going spinning challenge. I've spun nearly every day except maybe 2. One for sure (yesterday) which was a rest day, but I think over the weekend, there may have been a day I didn't spin, can't recall now. Anyway, no matter, I'm still committed to it and shall spin some more this evening.



I bought 3 bags of this roving in May at the Wooster Fiber Fest. Each bag contains a pound. I think this will be enough for a sweater. My first thought is to dye it blue, I don't know why, but that is really calling out to me. In fact, Kristin from GK2 had to place an emergency yarn order from KP, so I tagged on and ordered some dye. They have an indigo kit which I almost got, but then opted to just get a few of the different blues.

The next 2 projects, sort of go together. They are both for the July SKA challenge of fair isle socks. One is the mystery sock by Chrissy Gardiner and the 2nd is also by Chrissy from her Toe-up Sock book. As only one clue is sent weekly, I can't continuously work on sock #1. And because it's color work and I opted to use a striping Noro, I can't do 2AAT socks. I could cast on the toe of the 2nd sock since that is in the MC, but that would just waste a needle until I'm ready for it. Although it would mean I was ahead when it came time to do the 2nd sock of the pair. So sock #2 is slow going. I think I'm stalling out because my 2 yarns are pretty close and I'm not getting the great contrast like I wanted. I've made it through the first repeat and am very close to the heel and am on the fence about continuing on, or ripping back to the beginning of the color chart and switching yarns. I will wear these socks regardless of how the pattern looks because I love the colors of both yarns and who cares if it looks like hodge podge, I know they will be soft and comfortable and that is really all the matters, so I will probably forge on. However, they are a slow knit for me for some reason.

And lastly... this past Sunday I decided to get involved in yet another challenge... a shawl one. It's for the Hazel Knuts group on Rav. Using a hazelknits yarn, make a triangular shaped shawl and you have the months of July/August to do so. I received my sock yarn for the club in June and one of the colors was really not jumping at me to be socks. In fact I wasn't in LOVE with the color as I normally would be with GREEN.

I was considering doing the Knitty Annis shawl, but after glancing over the pattern, it just didn't call to me. Yet something did... the Travelling Woman.. it kept calling and yelling at me to make it. I first saw this shawl a few weeks back while taking a class. A girl named Kate was making it for Karida from Neighborhood dyeworks (I think). She needed it for a display for Knitters Connection. The color she used was absolutly STUNNING... this rich electric, turquoisey, mystic blue type of color. It was pure magic. Then a couple of the gals from GK2 knit it as well. I looked at the pattern and it seemed very straightforward and almost easy. I needed that.

I picked up that LEAF colorway and cast on for the shawl. I worked on it all day Sunday and I can't believe how much I was able to accomplish. I made it through the whole main beginning part, I don't know how many rows of stockinette. Then I was in to chart A and finished I think about 5 or 6 rows. So in a nutshell... continuing on with this shawl, I could be finished in the next week or so. It sure is fun to knit, but I'm not going to kill myself to get it done. I do have that spinning to do, too.

And the next sock clue gets released on Thursday. So see, a linear type of flow, working here and there....

LEAF was meant to be a shawl because now... I LOVE this color green!

The beginning:


Slightly blurry halfway home:

Knitting: The Long Holiday Weekend

Typically July 4th is celebrated with my family. I am 38 and for my life I just realized I really screwed up a big tradition. I've only missed like 2, maybe 3 Firework displays in my hometown.

One when I was 15, and my gram took Joy and I to DC, so we watched the wonderful display on the commons with the monuments all over. It was pituresque and amazing. Though I did miss the whole fam and the annual cookout.

Then last year, B and I headed to Boston over the week of the 4th. I thought it would be fantastic being in Boston for the celebration of our Independence. Since it was kinda born there and all. Anyway, it had it's ups and downs and again, I missed my small hometown and my family a bit.

Enter this year... I really didn't want to go. WILD horses could not have drug me there, seriously. I just wanted to stay home! And overall, I'm glad I did. I did miss some family visiting from Chicago. I did miss the small town fireworks (that are still awesome as hell!). But mostly, I'm not bothered by it. I needed the downtime and to rest and relax and to knit. And I DID!

I'm onto socks again after a break in June. I entered the Sock Knitters' Anon. mystery sock challenge. It's designed by Chrissy Gardiner (who I like a lot) and is stranded color work, which I LOVE! So clue one came out on the 1st, but I had so much going on I didn't cast on until the 2nd. Then I had a booboo and frogged and cast on again twice on the 3rd! Finally try #3 was a go. So clue #1 was finished easily enough. I'm using SOXX APPEAL for the tan color and Noro Kureyon for the "colored" bits. So far, am in love with this sock. The designer is using 4 contrast colors with the main color, but I opted to raid the stash (I'm very proud of that) and use a colorful striping yarn instead of multiple balls. So I DID NOT BUY NEW YARN!!!!



Then on the 2nd, Tour De Fleece - a spinning challenge - started and I forgot. But I remembered in time for day 2 and I started spinning up a storm. I purchased some fantastic Pencil Roving at Knitter's Connection a few weeks ago.

Here are the stages: Bag, to predrafted ball, to bobbin to skein


When I was done with that, I had some Lincoln in natural that I purchased in May at the Great Lakes Fiber Fest in Wooster and that was spun up on 2 bobbins, but not plied. So I plied it.



Then on Monday, I finished up spinning the Blue Fiber Optic onto 2 bobbins, it still needs to be plied. I broke into my Sock Summit stash and got out Wine and Roses by Miss Babs and made some predraft balls. I split the hank into 2 equal parts (2oz each) and set to work on the first 2 oz. I'm almost complete with that, didn't get the bobbin photo yet and then I finished up plying the lincoln into a smaller skein than the first (pic above).



I am really enjoying this spinning thing. It's quite a bit different and feels really "organic" for lack of a better word. I mean creating something from proverbially nothing is a great feeling. Kind of like taking wood or clay and making beautiful things. It's art. And I guess it's really cool to say, THIS thing, right here came from an animal somewhere in the world, it was cleaned and combed and possibly dyed and now it's this... yarn a functional item that will be made more functional once it is knit up into something.

It's all so astounding to me and makes me feel awesome. I MADE THIS. So in the end, I will have a project that I not only knit into "something" but actually MADE the yarn to do it. THAT makes me happy.

Oh and in the meantime, I cast on another sock project to tide me over between the weekly mystery clues. It is also Color stranded work and is also by Chrissy Gardiner. It's called The Dude Abides and I'm making it out of these yarns below. Didn't take a photo yet, but I currently have the toe and first repeat almost done. I'm using some Cherry Tree Hill Solid sock in Green and Prism Merino Mia in a variagated Blue/green colorway.