Yarn of the day

Even if I don't have much to say first thing in the morning, I like to post some eye candy for those passing through. This is one of my favorite yarns, Giangrasso Top Print in alpaca.

Alpaca at 100% doesn't really work well for socks, but I love to knit them out of this any way. Maybe this time I'll mix something else in...

Enjoy. 

Go Team Wales!!

For those one or two knitters out there who haven't heard, The Knitting Olympics is about to begin. This is the project I have chosen from this Winter's Vogue Knitting. More information to come... 

How Green in My January?

Things just keep growing and growing here in spite of the cold...
On the way to work again, focusing on the floral patterns.

Look, don't let anyone know we're a couple...

Camo Kitties trying to disappear. 

Non-knitting Friend with Poetry to listen to

Hey, this picture from my last day on my trip came out nicely! It's of the infamous CD Collins http://www.cdcollins.com. After knowing Cherie for more years than I care to count, I am constantly amazed at her creative progress and process. A Kentucky native, her poety/music I think would be great to knit to. I just sent off for her new cd and heard some samples on her site. Check it out. I'm trying to get her to get her music out there in the podsafe network, but until then, it's the plastic you've gotta get. But she tells me that this cd has a lovely 20 page booklet that you wouldn't want to miss. 

Matching Blues and Greens

I guess I feel some obligation to inspire on my blog with color, especially for those of you who can't get out to a fabulous yarn shop regularly. I know, you can't feel it and snuggle with it in a picture, but follow me now, and meditate on the percieved softness and loftiness of this yarn. Okay, I'll shut up now...

Matching Yarns

These yarns are from Steadfast Fibers of Bonner's Ferry Indiana. I got them at Windsor Button Shop in Boston. I just love the color match and varigations in the color. I think these will find their way into a lap blanket, using all the colors (three) that I bought. 

Home Again, Home Again

My friend Marcia http://marcia.decoster.org just sent me the greatest picture of herself modeling a stole from holiday vogue this year. Hey, I already bought yarn for it, so now I really want to make it!

But, back to the green aran capelet.
Yes, it's back on track, regardless of how much yarn I have to finish it. It kept me occupied on the long flights last night and helped me ignore the lack of food and the child screaming 3 seats away.

The photo below was me visiting with friends who now have many remnants from my old apartment in Boston. It was strange seeing my chaise,and old bookcase but I'm happy knowing they are being put to good use. Life moves on and on and the furniture does as well.

Jet lag is setting in and I want to go to bed now at 8:30. I think I just might give in.

Me, Kate and the now Famous Maude the Dog

 

Put Down the Scissors!

Two days ago I cast on the 332 stitches needed to start the aran capelet in the new Wraps book I just got. I'm knitting away the 2X2 rib. Then yesterday I started the cable pattern. Oh shit! I must be some stitches off in my cast-on because the cables are not organically flowing out of the knit stitches but are emerging from the purls. UGH.

I actually took out the scissors and decided I couldn't stand to rip the whole thing out. Worst idea ever. Here in my hotel room, amid clips of bits of green yarn, the whole thing ended up in the trash. I was so tired when I went to sleep, I didn't have the energy to look in my suitcase to make sure I would have enough yarn to complete the project anyway. So, of course I obsessed about this and then eventually fell asleep.

I may be a skein short, but I've started over and everything is on track....Finally.

The other point here is that I finished a shawl but have little interest in weaving in the ends, because I think in wearing it, it will barely be large enough for me. Aw, maybe I'll try anyway.

Peppers and cucumbers in the sun

 

Haymarket Greens

 

Etched Glass Memorial Towers

 

Memorial Fence Chain Detail

 

Holocaust Memorial in Boston

 

Sunny Day in Boston

Faneuil Hall in forground and Quincy Market in background 

Claire and Sylvia looking a blurry

Today I got together with buddies from my old knitting group in Brookline, MA. Thanks to the wonderful organizing skills of Julia (bring out the knitting monkey...) we had a great time. Present were Claire and Sylvia (in the picture above), Emily, Julia, Alison and her twin boys. It's been 4 years and I missed them so! Although it sounds like the group has gotten much bigger. I'm glad I was able to see some of the "old timers" and talk knitting and life on the west coast. This was really the group that supported my obsession for knitting. In honor of them, I hold my group every Sunday at the same time.

After seeing them I wandered through my old neighborhood (at least one of the many in Boston) and enjoyed the nip in the air and the scent of great Kosher food cooking in the restaurants.

Access the link to the knitsmith's group by clicking the photo!

From the Rain into the Rain

Yesterday's flights to Boston ran the gamut from hell to heaven, in that order.

First flight from Portland to Minn/St.Paul was crowded, no room to knit, knees bruised from the passenger in front of me leaning back into my very limited personal space... Still, the food at the airport more than made up for the total lack of food on the flight. MMMmmm. Crab Benedict.

Then I had the heavenly trip from Minn/St. Paul to Boston. Window seat, empty seat next to me and on the isle seat a knitter! Not only a knitter, but a fanatical, beautiful, charming knitter named Alex. The two of us traded stories and tips and had a generally relaxed and peaceful time. The knitting goddess is ever so kind these days.

I will be finishing my first "kinda lace" shawl of gray alpaca tonight. I imagine (actually I'm sure) I'll be blocking it here in my trendy hotel room so that I can show my knitting friends from Boston at our get together tomorrow. It's not perfect, but I've learned alot from doing it and I hope that it will block to fabulous proportions.

Picture to follow, folks

Breakfast of Knitter Super Heros

I don't even need to knit it. I can just stare at it. I often feel that way about the unpredictability of varigated yarns. This one is from Blue Moon Fiber Arts, in the colorway Seal Rock. It reminds me of La Jolla. (See profile picture). 

For the love of Yarn!

This is some handpainted cotton yarn from ebay seller overtherainbow yarns. I buy a lot of stuff from her. This will eventually make itself into a sweater. Right, with no intervention from me?

Comment from Julia upon having to do rows of boring stockinette: Where are the knitting monkeys?

When you're working with a really interesting yarn, it generally doesn't make sense to try and get much stitch detail in there. So, it seems to be a choice between fondling really pretty and complicated yarn, or using a more simple yarn and workin' that patterning... 

Trust in the Process

Once I took this writing course that had me writing about gardening. Specifically about the kind of faith that one had to have as one plants bulbs in the autumn, hoping they will bloom in the spring. All that ice and snow on top makes it pretty hard for me to believe.
I'm no gardener, at least not more than any other human being.

Such a huge analogy for life and our hopes for the future.
Everybody out there is making resolutions for the new year and I'm thinking how much of a suprise most everything was for me this past year. It seems true for most people I know, in fact.

I'm knitting small things right now because I'm having a hard time commiting to a large project. I have a couple of large things in the WIP (work in progress) stage. My faith in being able to complete something that will take longer than a couple of days is weak. I suppose the point for me is to keep creating, regardless of how small.

When in Doubt...

...knit a mock cable sock out of Koigu.

I had this therapist who once said that when she just didn't have any confidence in herself and didn't know what to do, she would bake a cake.
She knew how to bake a cake.
It inspired some kind of self confidence.

So, this is my cake for the day. (Less calories) 

Sock Detail

 

More Design Details in Nature

If you're been reading my blog for a while, you can see how influenced I am by patterns in nature. I studied printed textile design and learned at that time that something like 90% of all fabrics printed are floral patterns. The abstraction of nature in design is the core of design.

My favorite color these days is green, and Portland is SO green.