to be thinking orangey thoughts!
Yarn: Koigu KPM
Pattern: Lacy Baktus Scarf
A perfect, portable knit for waiting in doctors' offices.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tis the Season
to be thinking orangey thoughts!
Yarn: Koigu KPM
Pattern: Lacy Baktus Scarf
A perfect, portable knit for waiting in doctors' offices.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Two Weeks Later
Sometimes life interferes with blogging.
Almost two weeks ago, my hubster had heart bypass surgery. He's doing fine--gaining strength every day. I don't have the words to express how grateful we are for his incredible doctors and the competent and kind staff at the hospital.
During those hospital days, the Clapotis was my companion. The predictable knit was soothing and became a meditation for me, "Knit one, knit through the back, knit, knit, knit, knit through the back." Over and over again. My own heart was aching as I watched my hubster hooked up to monitors, tubes, wires and saw his incisions. "Knit through the back, knit, knit, knit. . . " I thought of each stitch as one more stitch closer to recovery.
Right now, the hubster is home and we're establishing a new rhythm to our life. During the little walks he needs to take during the day, we take in the world around us. They go a long way towards his healing .
I realized I also am healing when, during one of our walks, I noticed this flower and thought it reminded me of something. Something yarny.
When I got home, I dug through the stash. Oh, yes! The koigu! I bought it before all this happened and had intended to make a cowl or scarf for the fall.
Sometime during the past two weeks, fall began. It's not too late. Maybe I won't finish it--the cowl or scarf-- for this fall. But I can finally see a future of many autumns ahead for the hubster and me.
Almost two weeks ago, my hubster had heart bypass surgery. He's doing fine--gaining strength every day. I don't have the words to express how grateful we are for his incredible doctors and the competent and kind staff at the hospital.
During those hospital days, the Clapotis was my companion. The predictable knit was soothing and became a meditation for me, "Knit one, knit through the back, knit, knit, knit, knit through the back." Over and over again. My own heart was aching as I watched my hubster hooked up to monitors, tubes, wires and saw his incisions. "Knit through the back, knit, knit, knit. . . " I thought of each stitch as one more stitch closer to recovery.
Right now, the hubster is home and we're establishing a new rhythm to our life. During the little walks he needs to take during the day, we take in the world around us. They go a long way towards his healing .
I realized I also am healing when, during one of our walks, I noticed this flower and thought it reminded me of something. Something yarny.
When I got home, I dug through the stash. Oh, yes! The koigu! I bought it before all this happened and had intended to make a cowl or scarf for the fall.
Sometime during the past two weeks, fall began. It's not too late. Maybe I won't finish it--the cowl or scarf-- for this fall. But I can finally see a future of many autumns ahead for the hubster and me.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Junior Stalker
On Saturday afternoon, I put on my Junior Stalker pin
and headed on over to Knitty City to stalk one of my favorite knit bloggers and to have her sign her book for me.
If you don't know who I'm talking about, hop right on over to her website--Wendy Knits. You're in for a treat! Wendy is truly a gifted knitter--she knits/designs socks, shawls, sweaters that will knock your (toe-up) socks off!
Warm, smart, funny, red-haired--Wendy's got it all!
You all are probably thinking, "What the heck is Mary doing with a sock book--especially a toe-up sock book?!"
Yeah, I know, I know. There haven't been socks on the needles in quite a while here. BUT maybe with the help and inspiration of Wendy's excellent book, I'll be sporting new socks this winter.
and headed on over to Knitty City to stalk one of my favorite knit bloggers and to have her sign her book for me.
If you don't know who I'm talking about, hop right on over to her website--Wendy Knits. You're in for a treat! Wendy is truly a gifted knitter--she knits/designs socks, shawls, sweaters that will knock your (toe-up) socks off!
Warm, smart, funny, red-haired--Wendy's got it all!
You all are probably thinking, "What the heck is Mary doing with a sock book--especially a toe-up sock book?!"
Yeah, I know, I know. There haven't been socks on the needles in quite a while here. BUT maybe with the help and inspiration of Wendy's excellent book, I'll be sporting new socks this winter.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
K is for
Many months ago, I abandoned the 2009 ABC Along. I see that the group is up to "Q" and I'm still stuck in "K."
I now hope to catch up.
My ABC theme for the year was focused on NYS /NYC things. And so my K is something only found in NYC.
It doesn't take a psychic to know that my K would be for the best yarn store in NYC--K is for Knitty City!
Wonderful, helpful, friendly staff. A comfortable space. The terrific location (a few blocks from my apartment). Interesting classes. The knitting table where anybody can just drop in and knit for a while. Books and magazines. Needles and notions. And yarn. Oh, yes, the yarn!
Take a peek:
Is it any wonder that yarn just seems to follow me home from there?!
Many thanks to Pearl for providing such a lovely store.
Knitty City
208 West 79th St. (between Broadway and Amsterdam)
NYC NY 10024
212-787-5896 (I have the number on speed dial.)
Open every day except Tuesday.
No affiliation with the store except as the most happiest of customers!
Check out the Knitty City group on Ravelry.
I now hope to catch up.
My ABC theme for the year was focused on NYS /NYC things. And so my K is something only found in NYC.
It doesn't take a psychic to know that my K would be for the best yarn store in NYC--K is for Knitty City!
Wonderful, helpful, friendly staff. A comfortable space. The terrific location (a few blocks from my apartment). Interesting classes. The knitting table where anybody can just drop in and knit for a while. Books and magazines. Needles and notions. And yarn. Oh, yes, the yarn!
Take a peek:
Is it any wonder that yarn just seems to follow me home from there?!
Many thanks to Pearl for providing such a lovely store.
Knitty City
208 West 79th St. (between Broadway and Amsterdam)
NYC NY 10024
212-787-5896 (I have the number on speed dial.)
Open every day except Tuesday.
No affiliation with the store except as the most happiest of customers!
Check out the Knitty City group on Ravelry.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Rule of Fifths
Way back when, I started a Clapotis. 1300 yards of Briar Rose in legend weight (between sport and DK).
I plunged right in. I knew I wanted it wider than the pattern, but didn't stop to plan it out. Eyeballed the width.
In late spring, I put the Clapotis on the back burner to work on the Summer Lake Shawl. And then, during the summer, I discovered the Clapotis group on Ravelry and learned about the "rule of fifths." 1/5 of the yarn for the increase rows/ 1/5 for the decrease rows/ 3/5 for the length.
OH!
I then went into a panic. I knew I was already on the length rows when I had put it aside. And I have so much yarn! Will I end up with a long, skinny shawl?
The Clapotis group advises weighing and dividing the yarn into fifths. But I didn't have a food scale. And I kept forgetting to buy one.
All summer the voices in my head kept whispering:
Must buy food scale. Must weigh the yarn. Must figure out how much yarn I used for the increase section. Must divide the yarn in to fifths. Must rip back.
However all of this was theoretical because I never even looked at the Clapotis or the yarn. But this didn't stop me from panicking because I thought I didn't follow the rule of fifths!
When I finished the Summer Lake Shawl, I finally pulled the Clapotis out and looked at it.
OH!
Look at this! You see on the right hand side a couple of pieces of yarn? I seemed to have added a new skein when I started the length rows. That's good! And I had divided the 1300 yards into six balls--five of about the same size and one much smaller one. That's good too!
Two for the increase and decrease and three for the length. And the little one leftover for maybe a headband. WHEW! The rule of fifths rules!
I plunged right in. I knew I wanted it wider than the pattern, but didn't stop to plan it out. Eyeballed the width.
In late spring, I put the Clapotis on the back burner to work on the Summer Lake Shawl. And then, during the summer, I discovered the Clapotis group on Ravelry and learned about the "rule of fifths." 1/5 of the yarn for the increase rows/ 1/5 for the decrease rows/ 3/5 for the length.
OH!
I then went into a panic. I knew I was already on the length rows when I had put it aside. And I have so much yarn! Will I end up with a long, skinny shawl?
The Clapotis group advises weighing and dividing the yarn into fifths. But I didn't have a food scale. And I kept forgetting to buy one.
All summer the voices in my head kept whispering:
Must buy food scale. Must weigh the yarn. Must figure out how much yarn I used for the increase section. Must divide the yarn in to fifths. Must rip back.
However all of this was theoretical because I never even looked at the Clapotis or the yarn. But this didn't stop me from panicking because I thought I didn't follow the rule of fifths!
When I finished the Summer Lake Shawl, I finally pulled the Clapotis out and looked at it.
OH!
Look at this! You see on the right hand side a couple of pieces of yarn? I seemed to have added a new skein when I started the length rows. That's good! And I had divided the 1300 yards into six balls--five of about the same size and one much smaller one. That's good too!
Two for the increase and decrease and three for the length. And the little one leftover for maybe a headband. WHEW! The rule of fifths rules!
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