Snit n' Knit

The Cowl Extrapolation

2012-01-09T09:56:00.001-05:00

Though it's been unseasonably warm here in NYC, I'm expecting that soon it'll go from 60 to 0 in one day. I need to be ready.

I have a ton of scarves--handknit and not. However, thinking of bitter winds and ice pellets smacking my face, I had another scarf in mind. Something more cowl-like than scarf. But not a loose, gaping cowl that would allow the wind and snow to zoom and trickle down my neck.

Another type of cowl. A cowl that fits tight at the neck and that will cover about five or six inches of my chest and back. Some might call it a dickie. But I prefer to call it a Wolowitz Thermal Transfer Device aka Howard's Cowl.

Over the weekend, I knit the stitches over four needles so I could try it on. It's perfect! Snug at the neck--but, not so snug that I feel I have a boa constrictor around my neck.

I tried it on with a coat and the dic. . . uh. . . cowl is almost the right length.

Come on, Winter, show your stuff. I'm ready for ya!

Happy Birthday

2012-01-07T16:55:00.009-05:00

to Knitty City! For six years they've been my wonderful LYS.

There were plenty of birthday cakes--some edible

some not as tasty.

But the yarns are always yummy!

I celebrated Knitty City's birthday by buying some yarn. Like there's any other way to celebrate?!

Seen in New York

2011-12-29T14:22:00.012-05:00

While out and about today, I ran into a friend and a friend of hers. Look--a hand-knit scarf! A friend of my friend's friend knitted the scarf.

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It looked fabulous. The length is just right and the color is a perfect match of her eyes.

I mumbled," Teva Durham's Corkscrew Scarf". But since neither my friend nor her friend are knitters, they didn't catch what I said. But I do love playing "I Can Name That Knit in Two Seconds! "

Teeny-Tiny Tree

2011-12-23T09:00:00.003-05:00

The hubster and I usually go to Zingone's and get a not-very-large tree for Christmas. And we carry it home in our SUV (Sidewalk Utility Vehicle.)

However, this year, with the elevator still being repaired, there was absolutely no way we could manage to haul even a not-very-large tree up the stairs.

But it just doesn't seem like Christmas without a tree. So we went to Zingone's and found a tree that we could easily carry!

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We brought it home and decorated it. Perfect!

It may be teeny-tiny. And it's a rosemary plant and not really a tree. But, I see memories and happiness.

Angie, the angel, is the only tree topper I've ever known. She's probably at least as old as I am and I'm pretty old!

We found the handcarved Santas at a craft fair during vacation in the Adirondack Mountains. I look at them and I'm relaxing on the porch overlooking the lake at the cabin we stay at every summer.

In the heart ornament, I see family and friends who touch our lives. Friends whose faces I can picture. Online buddies who I know only by emails, comments and avatars. To all of you, I wish you the tons of happiness contained in this teeny-tiny tree!

The Angel in a Walk-Up

2011-12-14T08:06:00.001-05:00

I believe that angels are the unseen little whispers and breezes that nag at us and guide us. But they also can take human form. I met one of those angels yesterday.

I was waiting for a bus--the bus stops in NYC are little shelters that have bench seats. An old woman sat next to me and said, "Oh, this feels good." I did a very un-New York thing and said something back to her. Something neutral that I can't even remember.

She then told me that she didn't start feeling her age since her birthday last month. "May I ask how old you are?" I politely asked. "90 on November 25th," she replied. After I expressed some surprise, she then told me how she's been living in a 5th floor walk-up for 42 years. I said, "That must be very difficult to be walking up so many stairs."

However, I was totally thinking of myself when I said that. For the past five weeks, the one elevator in our building has been under repair. I'm old. I have bad knees. I'm out of shape. We live a few flights up.

Then the old woman told me she had a system for walking up the stairs. "I rest. I don't run. Let those teenagers run. The apartment will always be waiting whether I run up the stairs or if I take my time. Why run up and drop dead? The apartment will be there."

I told the woman about our elevator and having to walk up the stairs and that some days it's very hard. There are times when I think I won't make it.

She looked me over. "You're no teenager. Take your time. Your apartment is going to be there whether you make it home in five minutes or fifteen."

The bus pulled into the stop and I asked her if she was waiting for that one. "Oh, no, dear, I'm only resting here." I boarded the bus and, as I got on, I heard the old woman call out to me, "Bless you." I waved at her and yelled, "Thank you and bless you." I don't know if she heard me.

And so I went on my way. Three heavy shopping bags later, I faced the stairs.

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As I began to climb the stairs, I thought, "The apartment will always be there. No need to rush." I walked very slowly and put the bags down and rested three times on the way up. I can't say resting so much made it any easier. But I wasn't huffing and puffing and my heart didn't feel like it was going to leap out of my chest by the time I opened the apartment door.

And, just like the old lady said, there was my apartment. Waiting.

12 Days and Counting

2011-12-13T19:28:00.015-05:00

It's our tradition that we don't put up the tree or decorate till a few days before Christmas. But I can't put other Christmasy things off till then.

Gifts that need to be mailed are wrapped

and ready to go to the Post Office.

This little guy, however, is quite eager for the festivities to begin!

Frogged

2011-12-11T07:29:00.003-05:00

The stealth project I've been working on.

Wasn't crazy about the pattern even before I began it. Didn't like it a couple of inches into it. A full skein later, I still disliked it. I found myself working on it less and less. And, when I did work on it, those voices in my head kept repeating, "Ugh, ick, blecch!"

So, it's history.

HOWEVER a new stealth project has been started. The stitch pattern is more eye-pleasing and I'm very excited to get it going!

Final Retreat Post

2011-12-04T11:30:00.007-05:00

Yes, two weeks later and I still have more to say about the Knitters Review Retreat--but--this is it!

First, many thanks to the Knitters Review Retreat Hostess with the Mostess (of yarn), Clara Parkes. Clara's careful planning makes it such an easy and relaxing weekend for the participants.

Clara provided a beautiful place where we could knit by the fire.

and laugh with friends.

She made sure we had souvenirs from this special 10 year anniversary of the Knitters Review Retreat

and that we had plenty of interaction with yarn. (This is a photo of the stash lounge. It didn't look like this by Sunday!)

The classes I took were terrific! In Cat Bordhi's creativity class, I was gently nudged out of my knitting safety zone. Cat got us to randomly put knitting elements together to design a cowl. There's something very exciting and freeing about this.

Ann Budd's kitchener class was held early on Saturday morning. I'd had a very late night and, though my brain understood, my fingers weren't cooperating. But kitchener I attempted and kitchener I'm not afraid of anymore!

This is not a pretty sight! I know I can do better than what this looks like. I used a contrasting color to show the work.

I had a great deal of restraint in the marketplace and purchased only some gorgeous Briar Rose yarns.

This is Glory Days. DK Blue Faced Leicester.

And this is sport weight Nate's Sock Yarn:

Now it's all a happy memory! But I do hope that 50 weeks from today I'm all sad because I'll be returning home from the Knitters Review Retreat 2012!

Awestruck

2011-12-01T10:02:00.007-05:00

While at the last breakfast at the Knitters Review Retreat, I saw the most amazing handknit. It was the sort of knit that makes me want to put down my knitting forever. My little, small efforts to produce something out of needles and yarn pale in comparison to this sweater:

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That's a fair isle sweater a woman knit for her son when he went off to college and that's the inside of the sweater. The "ugly," non-public side. When the woman explained how she knit the sweater, she completely lost me. But, somehow, there's seams in the sweater and she doesn't like the look of seams. So she covered them. However, she knit the college's motto into one seam cover and, on the other, her son's name and year he would graduate.

As gorgeous as the outside of the sweater was, the inside was magnificent!

I'll never, ever be this caliber of knitter--but--seeing what is possible is inspiring.

So What Did People Wear?

2011-11-27T10:00:00.001-05:00

The Knitters Review Retreat is a knitting fashion show! Everywhere I looked, there was something more beautiful to gawk at. Here's a few.

There were plenty of sweaters and vests worn in chilly Canandaigua.

The laces were gorgeous!

And at any gathering of knitters, there's always a pretty Clapotis

Garter stitch striped shawls were popular--I love their look.

But IF I had to choose my favorite piece of knitwear--believe me, this is tough--I'd pick this stunning catkin. It has texture and garter stitch stripes and slip stitches and buttons and, no, it isn't on my needles. . . yet.

No Turkey for Me

2011-11-24T18:40:00.004-05:00

The only turkey on our table this year were our candlesticks.

I've had turkey-less Thanksgivings before, but this is the first time I prepared for turkey and didn't have it. I bought a fresh turkey yesterday. The "buy by" date was 11/26. But I opened the package this morning and PEEEEEEE-YEW!

Back to the store it went and corned beef then became our Thanksgiving meat. The one concession I made to the corned beef was to serve it with carrots and not turnips and butternut squash.

Maybe on St. Paddy's Day, I should cook turkey and cabbage?

Busy Hands

2011-11-23T10:20:00.015-05:00

More about the wonderful Knitters Review Retreat in another post. But, one of many things that set apart a knitting retreat from the real world are all the busy, busy hands.

There was knitting, of course:

But hands were also busy winding yarn

and spinning yarn, too.

And one knitter had busy hands sewing on buttons.

And then there's the diet plan that keeps hands busy knitting instead of reaching for another cookie.

Bathing Beauty

2011-11-11T11:36:00.009-05:00

I mentioned to some people that the Hitchhiker was on the small side. Um. . . . then I gave it a bath. Here's the scarf drying stretched out on a king-size bed. (You can't see from the photo, but one end drapes down the side of the bed.)

I didn't measure it pre-bath, but judging from this photo, it's longer.
Compare to this.

Sorry if I mislead anybody into thinking the scarf is on the smallish side.

Meanwhile, Stephen West and I have some decisions to make.

Busy Needles!

2011-10-30T23:12:00.009-05:00

The Hitchhiker Scarf may be done, but now I have projects shouting for attention.

On the left, the stealth knitting. That's been bumped up to #1 project.

In the middle, two of the seven swatches I need for a class I'll be taking at the Knitters Review Retreat in a couple of weeks. 16 stitches, 12 rows. Easy to procrastinate about. BUT I really don't want to be knitting swatches in the car on the way to the retreat!

On the right, something new. A fun thing for me. Small and mindless enough to throw in my purse for bus or waiting room knitting. Any guesses what it might be?

Finished!

2011-10-30T11:31:00.007-05:00

The Hitchhiker is finished! Just in time for the cold and snow.

Rhinebeck 2011 Report

2011-10-17T12:20:00.023-05:00

I have Rhinebeck hangover! How can one come back to the everyday after experiencing so much yarn, color, stunning knits and fried foods?

My one regret is that I didn’t take enough photos. But here’s a sampling.

Since I wanted to avoid the crowds on Saturday, the hubster and I went up to the Rhinebeck area that afternoon. Relaxed in the hotel, ordered in dinner and then I knit in the lobby for several hours.

When I first went downstairs, I met two lovely knitters—a mother and daughter from Connecticut –who warmly welcomed me and told me the highs and lows of their day at the fairground.

People then began arriving back to the hotel and soon the lobby was full of knitters!

The Hitchhiker Scarf especially enjoyed the fireplace.

We got up early on Sunday and arrived at the fairground about a half hour before the gates opened.

This gave me time to admire the trees that are just beginning to turn.

I also gawked at some gorgeous knits.

And it's not surprising how some people spent their time waiting.

Gates opened and here's some of the sights.

Felted food art

The colors!

Look at that sweet face!

Stunning Orenburg shawls for sale

The wearer’s grandmother made this fun sweater.

I didn’t have any—but the idea of fried pickles is both intriguing and nauseating

Ann Hanson (carrying the green bag.) I wonder what yummy yarns she has in those bags?

Queen Bee Clara Parkes who was there to sign her wonderful new book.

OK, the main event. What did I buy? Not much. I didn't intend to buy any yarn. I was there more for the ambiance and the inspiration. But, some did follow me home.

Sanguine Gryphon Zaftig Bugga (No! I didn’t wait two hours in line.), a couple of Christmas ornaments, a needle case, a little bit of 3ply cashmere, fingerless gloves and a new old-fashioned knitting bag.

The hubster and I were on the road by early afternoon. Whew! I really zipped through those barns. But I feel I saw everything and am very pleased with my purchases. It was a wonderful, wonderful day! And I'm already looking forward to Rhinebeck 2012!

Rhinebeck Bound

2011-10-14T15:32:00.008-05:00

Off to Rhinebeck tomorrow.

Unfortunately, the Hitchhiker Scarf won't enjoy all the fibery goodness, the llamas and alpacas, the sheep, the sheepdog trials, the Punkin' Chuckin', the fried whatevers--that's going to be Revontuli's job.

Between it being a busy week and untangling those 24 grams of horror, I just couldn't finish the Hitchhiker in time. Since this was to be my "Rhinebeck knit," I guess I'll just have to wear it next year!

Knitting Penance

2011-10-11T08:25:00.011-05:00

This little ball of yarn looks all sweet and innocent, doesn't it?

Hard to believe that only a day ago, it was an instrument of torture. A penalty I had to pay for some past evil.

I spent all day untangling that mess. I'd untangle for about ten minutes then, for another ten, read the homework assignment for a class I'm taking. The homework? The Aeneid. Book 6. The Kingdom of the Dead. Perfect reading for this task since I went from the depths of Hades to the Elysian Fields.

Hitching and &%$#-ing!

2011-10-10T11:17:00.007-05:00

Will the Hitchhiker Scarf be finished in time to wear this weekend to Rhinebeck? 34 teeth done. I thought I would have enough yarn for 40 pointy-ended "teeth." (The pattern calls for 42.) But with only 18 grams left of the yarn, I won't.

But. . . . remember way back in February? I had started another scarf with this yarn and encountered a tangle?

I ended up cutting the tangle out. As I was knitting the Hitchhiker, I thought the tangle was only a couple of grams and wouldn't make a big difference.

WRONG!

It's 25 grams. That's enough for a few teeth. For some crazy reason, I didn't toss the tangle. So today. . . here's my project.

AAAAARGH! I'm not a person known for her patience!

Lazy Day Beef Stew

2011-10-04T11:32:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was chilly and damp--a perfect day for beef stew. However, I was tired and didn't want to fuss. I also have other things to do than cook! But, oh, I had such an hankering! It had been a hot, hot, hot summer and I haven't had beef stew in a long time.

So I made the laziest beef stew ever.

At the grocery store, I picked up a package of already cut up chuck pieces, a bag of carrots, a sweet potato, some Lipton Beefy Onion Soup and Dip mix, and a disposal aluminum baking pan.

At home, I sprayed the baking pan with cooking spray. Then roughly cut up a sweet potato, four carrots and an onion. Put those in the pan and sprinkled with a half a package of the soup mix. I placed the beef chunks on top of the veggies and sprinkled the rest of the soup mix on top. I then added a few bay leaves, shook some garlic powder, pepper and allspice on top. Last step was to pour a small can of V-8 juice over the whole thing.

Then I wrapped the pan in many layers of aluminum foil and put the pan in a 325 degree oven for about 3 1/2 hours. That was it. No flouring or browning of anything.

The smells were incredible! The stew was tasty. I've probably made better stew--but this one was very satisfying. A good way to welcome this cooler weather.

The best part--I just had to toss the roasting pan when done. No washing of pots and pans!

October Frenzy

2011-10-01T19:42:00.012-05:00

Two weeks from Rhinebeck and I plan to wear the Hitchhiker Scarf there.

So far, I have 26 "teeth" and the scarf calls for 42. The rows are getting longer. Life is crazy busy during the next two weeks. My fingers ache. I hate knitting on deadline. There's another project that needs my attention. And what about that sweater I thought I'd finish this fall?

But, oh, it's Rhinebeck! The lure of wearing something newly knit there. The finishing of it in the car on the way. The blocking of the item on the bed in the hotel the night before. This is a challenge I can't resist.

The race is on!

Stealth Knitting

2011-09-27T20:45:00.010-05:00

In a previous post, I mentioned that I started something new.

But I can't talk about it! It's a gift. The recipient knows I'm knitting something--but doesn't know the specifics. I'd like it to be a surprise.

I do need to keep careful track of the 24-row pattern repeat.

But the pattern is easy enough that I can read and knit at the same time. (Though this knitting will see me through the play-offs and I'll be working on it when the Yankees play in the World Series.)

Welcome, Autumn!

2011-09-23T13:38:00.009-05:00

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Apples, pumpkin pies and Concord grapes.
Leaves--gold, red and yellow.
Shorter days, longer nights.
Wool sweaters and handknit socks.
Pot roast, chili, Brussels sprouts.
Rhinebeck-- third weekend in October.
Candy corn and apple cider.

Those are some of my favorite Fall things. What do you like about this season?

Revenant

2011-08-18T08:50:00.011-05:00

The word-of-the-day on my desktop today is "revenant." It means, "One who returns after a long absence or death." Since I've been feeling a little guilty for not blogging for more than six weeks, I took this word as a sign.

Yep, I'm a revenant. I'm baaaaack!

Now to get caught up with things!

Like many knitters, I have Startitis Syndrome. The pursuit of the new project is such a thrill. Ravelry, with its search function, is my enabler. For example, let's say I want to knit a cabled scarf. OK. There's 67 pages of patterns for a cabled scarf on Ravelry. But then I can add filters: yarn weight, free or purchased pattern, yardage, fiber. So many different possibilities! Weeks can be spent searching.

I start and, at first, the knitting is tons of fun and I knit, knit, knit that scarf all day, all night. But, before too long, I find myself yet again on Ravelry looking for patterns for a new project. And the cabled scarf gets stuffed into a ziplock and tossed into the UFO pile. Sound familiar?

However, a few weeks ago, I enjoyed the sport of pursuing a new project without having to shout over a yelling conscience. "What?! Are you nuts? You're going to begin something new?!"

In August, the hubster and I visited a BIL and SIL in Vermont. These wonderful folks are going to become first-time grandparents in the winter. My SIL is a knitter and so, of course, she's thinking about knitting twee baby things. AND she didn't know about Ravelry!

Well, I took care of that!

What fun it was to introduce somebody to Ravelry! And it was even more fun to search through the patterns knowing that this project wasn't going to end up in my UFO pile.

She found a pattern. And off we went to the yarn store. Yarn was found. Since lucky SIL had won a gift card for the store, buying was even more fun!

SIL is now more than half done with the blanket and, I'm beginning to favorite patterns that I think she might like to knit. I like this! The pursuit without the ball and chain of Startitis Syndrome.

OH! But that doesn't mean I haven't started anything new. Stay tuned!

Bits and Pieces

2011-08-09T14:14:00.019-05:00

I know my blogging has been erratic for a while. But that doesn't mean I'm not thinking about blog posts. All of these photos were taken during the summer with the intent that each would trigger their own blog post. But due to laziness, that's not happening.

First is a stole knit by a knit group friend. I've forgotten the pattern and the yarn--but it was lovely and very well-done.

I intended to write a ranting blog entry about summer shoe styles. This photo was taken on a day when it was 95+ both in temperature and humidity. Yet this woman is wearing boots! This is something I totally don't get and I see all over the city. What's worse are the Uggs worn with sundresses.

OK, what's the story here? Maybe the Wicked Witch of the West was wearing Uggs with a sundress and melted from the heat?

More knitting by a friend. Isn't this a sweet little sweater? The yarn is Bernat's Baby Jacquards in Rosebud. That's a self-flowering yarn. LOL

For this photo, the blog entry would have included a recipe for Israeli Salad--a wonderful summery salad. (Cucumber, scallions, tomato, parsley, mint, olive oil and lemon juice.)

And that ends this lazy, summer randomness!

Back to Back

2011-08-02T12:09:00.010-05:00

I told myself I wouldn't blog till I had something to show. Ta da!

After ripping back the armhole decreases, I got back on track. But then had to frog back again because I confused ssk and k2tog. I think I still had vacation brain.

Back home, finally I was on my way. About six or so inches and the back will be finished. YAY!

However, I've looked over the instructions for the front. This is my first sweater and reading about how to measure for the buttons and buttonholes is scary. I see that math is involved and math and I have a love/hate relationship.

Experienced knitters, any and all tips and tricks on how to do this would be greatly appreciated!

The Adirondack Frog

2011-07-22T11:09:00.015-05:00

There's all kinds of critters here in the mountains--fish, deer, bears, black flies, ducks, bees, ants, chipmunks, mosquitoes. But this morning I discovered the Adirondack frog.

Two days ago this:

Today this:

Yeah, there used to be the beginning of the armholes. But something was wonky with my decreases. Even though I knew what to do, I sort of made things up as I went along and so, rip-it, rip-it. Hello, Ms. Frog.

Same Old

2011-07-20T12:37:00.013-05:00

We've been coming to this cabin in the mountains for so many years, we know what to expect to see:

blue skies with fluffy white clouds

pink sunsets

greenery

ducks

But here's something new--the Jackie Sweater now has the beginnings of armholes!

My goal for this vacation is to complete the back of the sweater. But, on second thought, "goal" and "vacation" really shouldn't be used in the same sentence--especially when there's ducks and sunsets about.

A Little Bit of Knitting

2011-07-18T14:59:00.005-05:00

I packed three knitting projects and, yesterday, worked a bit on two of them.

The Hitchhiker Scarf. I think I'm at the half-way point--though, the scarf never seems to change. Despite that, it's a very soothing garter stitch scarf with "teeth."

And I finally finished the first chart on Wendy's Mystery Shawlette. This was a Knit-Along project that most people finished in early June. It's an easy lace--a good beginner's project. I'll finish it . . whenever.

Later this afternoon, I'll dig out the third project--what I want to be the main project-- and try to make sense of my notes. I'll blog about it in a day or two--but the entry probably won't be all that different from what I wrote last year.

Puzzle Solved

2011-07-16T18:42:00.005-05:00

Yep, we're on vacation! In the mountains at the lake. Trees and water. Water and trees.

The perfect vacation dinner. No-bake finger food on toss 'em paper plates.

Summer Puzzle

2011-07-15T07:29:00.003-05:00

Bug stuff, suntan lotion, yarn --- what does it all mean?

Long Time, No Blog

2011-07-12T11:11:00.018-05:00

I can't believe it's been more than six weeks since I last blogged! It isn't as if nothing has been going on--rather, too much stuff has been happening.

Over the past few weeks, friends and I celebrated a milestone college reunion. Lots of fun! I look at my friends and I don't see our well-earned markers of the years gone by -- I see the 18 year olds were all once were.

Then, we had old kitchen cabinets removed and new ones put in. What a mess!

Cabinets are up--there's still more work to be done. The kitchen isn't finished and the entire apartment needs painting and a general overhaul. But that's for when the weather is cooler.

Next, I came down with bronchitis. I spent two weeks in a blur of coughing, drowsing and reading cozy mysteries. Couldn't smell or taste anything (except salty and sweet). 1,000% better now, but still tire easily.

However, thank goodness, I felt strong enough to go to Yankee Stadium this past Saturday and see Derek Jeter get his 3,000 hit. YAY!

One thing that wasn't happening over the past few weeks was knitting.

Only a few rows in each project every few days. But now that I'm feeling better and the apartment isn't as chaotic, I'm a bit more motivated to knit.

More about that in my next post.

It's (not a) Mystery

2011-05-20T13:53:00.009-05:00

Yes, it's Wendy's Summer Mystery Shawlette. So that mystery isn't a mystery anymore.

On Wednesday, I knit the first two rows of the first chart while we were coming back from a quick visit upstate. I was very proud of myself for knitting the lace row in the car despite a bumpy road, two phone calls and a text message received. Plus the hubster turned into a Chatty Charlie and wanted to discuss some Deep Thoughts.

Today, I picked up the shawlette to finish the rest of the chart before the next clue is released on Sunday and. . . . AAAAARGH! Each half of the shawl has a 12-stitch pattern that's repeated 7 times. However, it appears that I knit 6 repeats on one half and 8 on the other.

It's no mystery how that happened! I was distracted and, since all the stitches were accounted for, never gave it a thought to check. Lesson learned!

On the Road

2011-05-18T13:06:00.001-05:00

with a mysterious blue something on the needles, a pattern and an umbrella.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Rest of the Story. . .

2011-05-17T07:45:00.000-05:00

So the reason why I didn't weave in the ends in August, 2009 was because of bad karma.

When I first had the notion of knitting a mesh, summer shawl that I would wear at the cabin by the lake, I knew I'd use silk yarn--but I never gave thought to the color. At the yarn store, I pulled out matching skeins of Sea Silk. Being a New Yorker, I tend to wear a lot of black, brown, black, navy, black. And those were those colors I set aside. Back into the bin went the pinks and oranges and a variegated blue and yellow.

A few minutes later, I saw a woman take the variegated blue and yellow Sea Silk out of the bin. Suddenly, I remembered what summer at the lake looks like

and I realized the mesh shawl had to be knit from the blue and yellow variegated!

OMG! What had I done?! That woman was carrying my summer in her hands!

I asked her if she intended to buy the yarn. She did. But she wanted to make a sweater with it and needed more yarn. She said she wanted to match the yellow or blue.

I pretended to be looking at patterns, but I kept staring at the woman walking around and around the store. Finally, I couldn't take it any longer and told her that she'd never, ever be able to match the yarn in either color or weight.

She gave me the yarn.

All summer, I'd see that woman in the neighborhood. I thought it odd that I kept running into her. I'd get on a bus--she'd be there. I'd walk down the street and she'd be having coffee at an outdoor cafe. Every time she saw me she'd ask, "How's our yarn?" She told me she regretted giving it up--the yarn seemed to be one-of-a kind.

I worked on that shawl all summer. I didn't finish it in time to wear at the lake, but I worked on it there. I'd hold it up in the sunlight and delight in the sun, sky and water that was being knit.

Then I finished the shawl and tried it on. ICK! It looked like a rag. The drape was just too, too much. And so I put it away. I also thought there was bad karma going on. Did that woman curse the yarn? Did she doom the project each time she saw me?

Thoughts of the shawl, the bad karma and the woman faded.

But recently, I was looking for something in a closet and found the unfinished Summer Lake Shawl--the Bad Karma Shawl--in a sweater bag. I took it out--it still looked like a rag on my shoulders. But then I looped it and draped it and there it was--a perfect Spring scarf!

I haven't seen that woman in quite a while. She doesn't seem to be in the neighborhood anymore. Has she taken her bad karma with her and moved away? Is my shawl--my scarf--now free to enjoy the sunlight and blue skies?

Whatever Happened To. . . ?

2011-05-16T09:20:00.003-05:00

Remember this?

The Summer Lake Shawl. Last seen on this blog on Sunday, August 23, 2009. At that time, I stated that it was off the needles and needed blocking and end-weaving.

That was what? Almost two years ago?

Here it is now--

Yeah, still not finished. Maybe making this public admission will humiliate me into some end-weaving action. Stay tuned!

Easter Bonnet Blahs

2011-04-24T12:15:00.016-05:00

From this

to this!

Yep, it's an Easter Bonnet. I had planned on wearing it to the Easter Parade and snapping shots of others wearing more elaborate hats.

But, I seem to have a bug. You really don't want to know the icky details. Feeling better now, but not up to it. I'm hiding my face in the photo not because I'm shy, but because I'm an unlovely shade of gray-green today.

How sick am I? I haven't even felt like taking a nibble out of this yummy chocolate!

Meanwhile, I'm keeping the hat around this week. Luann asked if I might be going to the Royal Wedding when I posted the photo of the hat fixings. Yes, I am going--via the TV. LOL So I think I'll wear this hat in the middle of the night aka Friday morning as I toast the couple with many cups of coffee.

More than a Purse

2011-04-21T18:08:00.024-05:00

My usual summer uniform is black slacks with a black tee shirt. Black sandals. Black purse. Today, however, I did something wild and crazy!

A new summer bag.

As I was buying it, I had a flashback to the last time I bought a blue purse. Early 1960s--I was 12 or 13 years old and, like today, it was a few days before Easter.

My family lived in Albany, NY. But, for some reason, I was shipped down to Brooklyn to spend Easter with my Aunt Marie, Uncle Mike and cousins.

That spring, I had read in Seventeen Magazine that “neutral colors with flashes of blue accessories” was what all the girls were wearing. OK, my Easter outfit was neutral--gray coat, a white hat with a gray ribbon, black patent leather shoes, black patent bag. However, being the spoiled brat I was, I just had to carry a blue purse that Easter or I would simply die!

Couldn't find a blue purse in downtown Albany. So helping me find one when I arrived in Brooklyn, then fell to my Aunt Marie. She took my cousin Margaret and me into "the city" -- Manhattan! Macy's Herald Square! Macy's--a store bigger than all of downtown Albany!

It's funny how I have no memory of why I spent Easter in Brooklyn that year or how I got to and from Albany and Brooklyn--but, I can still remember walking around and around and around the purse department of Macy's with Aunt Marie and Margaret. Aunt Marie was one of the kindest, sweetest people I've ever known and I just hate to think how I must have tried her patience that day.

That bag wasn't blue enough, this one is the wrong blue, the clasp is ugly, clunky, glittery, the straps were too long, too short. On and on I complained.

But I found one. A baby blue shoulder bag. And I thought myself to be oh-so-sophisticated and fashionable that Easter.

Today, I once again found myself in Macy's purse department a few days before Easter. Did I buy this blue purse to break up the black monotony of my summer clothes? Or were the past memories tugging at my subconscious?

Something Festive?

2011-04-21T09:00:00.002-05:00

A straw hat? Ribbons? Fake flowers? What in the name of arts and craft am I up to now?!

Seen in NYC

2011-04-20T14:20:00.001-05:00

At long last, we're able to shed heavy coats and hats and gloves. Just a sweater was enough for today.

Saw this lovely lady waiting for a bus. She's wearing a cheery crocheted sweater that her daughter made.

I like the solid green with the variegated pinks---perfect color combination for Spring.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The State of NYC Spring

2011-04-11T11:33:00.000-05:00

and an experiment with blogging from the iphone.

Some buds.

Some green.

Some flowers.

And a bunny! OK--it's a decorative bunny. But our rats would eat real bunnies.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A Match!

2011-04-10T12:45:00.007-05:00

Playing around this afternoon with some yarn, needles, stitches, patterns for a spring scarf. But what struck me is how well my nail polish goes with the yarn.

Now to find a good pattern match for this yarn, this ribbon yarn, that is so far out of my comfort zone!

Spring on the Way?

2011-03-30T09:14:00.006-05:00

Despite a few predicted mischievous snowflakes, Spring seems to coming to NYC. Finally!

Because

2011-03-16T06:51:00.007-05:00

Because it's gray and rainy and dreary this morning--some more photos from the Philadelphia Flower Show to brighten the day.

Amtrak Knitting

2011-03-13T14:36:00.004-05:00

I do like to plug in my ipod, listen to an audiobook and knit on train trips. The trip from Philadelphia is only 90 minutes--but--I did at least an hour of knitting. Started something new:

So far, the yarn is happy!

Spring Fever

2011-03-11T17:36:00.001-05:00

No, NYC didn't suddenly burst into bloom. Hubster and I are in Philadelphia for the Flower Show. It's glorious! The colors, the flower-scented air! The promise that this long winter will end.

Looky look what else I found at the Flower Show---knitters!

This lady was sitting among the flowers knitting the softest scarf. I like how the yarn matches the flowers behind her. She was lovely and I wish I could have spent some time sitting with her on the bench knitting and chatting.

A little while later, a woman walked past me wearing the comfiest looking knit vest. And I just can't help myself--I had to know if it was hand knit. It was! At that point, I had a macro lens on my camera---so here's a super close-up of the very pretty yarn. The knitter and I exchanged Ravelry names, so now I'll be stalking. . . uh. . . that is. . . .watching what other beautiful things she'll be making.

Flowers and knitters----a great combination!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Me vs The Yarn

2011-03-10T18:08:00.001-05:00

Remember this?

Still looks like that.

Remember this scarf? Wollmeise. 22.5 Degrees Scarf.

The Wollmeise wasn't happy. It tangled. Stitches jumped off the needles. Stitches dropped and tangled. The yarn won.

Just the yarn's way of asking to be frogged. It's now interviewing other patterns.

Something New

2011-03-10T10:54:00.005-05:00

Not only a new blog post--but things are beginning to bud here in NYC!

Weather Rollercoaster

2011-02-21T15:32:00.011-05:00

Last week. WHEEEEEEE! Sunshine and short sleeves.

This morning. EEEEEEEK! Snow. Snow. Snow. Snow.

This afternoon. YAAAAY! Spring must really, really, really be on its way--Interweave Knits says so.

Knots to That!

2011-02-11T09:36:00.003-05:00

Long time, no blog updates. Sorry. I've been a bit tangled up.

Stealth Socks

2011-01-26T08:16:00.012-05:00

Taking the Blackthorn Needles for a test-drive:

I don't understand what these are made from--Carbon Fiber Composite. They're not wood--but they feel like bamboo. They're not steel--but they're very strong and feel as if they won't snap. It's the same material that the Blackbird Stealth Jet is made from. So I guess I'll be knitting so fast that radar won't detect the needles.

I cast on for a pair of Pilates socks. Since they're short and toe-less and heel-less, this should be a quick knit. I just want to get a feel for the needles. The touch is warm and the drag is just right. Not slippery or sticky. And the point is perfect for me--good and pointy.

I seem to have a love/hate relationship with dpns. I learned to knit socks on dpns, moved to two circulars and then changed over to magic loop. Swore I would never use dpns again. But, here I am with dpns and, so far, I'm loving them!

What a Weekend!

2011-01-25T12:01:00.006-05:00

Kudos to Vogue Knitting for organizing this. This was their first time doing such a thing and, despite some kinks, it was a fabulous weekend! Hosting 3,000 people in New York City can't be easy. But they pulled it off.

I loved catching up with old friends and meeting some new ones. Thursday afternoon, I sat in the hotel's lobby and chatted with knitters from upstate NY, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, Maryland and from a few blocks away. Lots of chatting, a few drinks, busy knitting hands.

Friday morning, I was up and out the door by dawn and wondered why the heck I was out so early on such a snowy day.

This is why!

Leslye Solomon teaching Continental Knitting. Terrific class--fabulous teacher! (More about this during the week.)

Later the same day--the marketplace opened. About 50 or so vendors on two levels.

Yarn? Though there was incredible, beautiful yarn---I really don't need any more yarn. But there was more than yarn at the marketplace. My major purchases were needles--the Signature needles in the two new sizes and Blackthorn dpns.

Um. . .yes, there's yarn in the photo, too. I couldn't resist a bit of yarn--Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool--that was practically a steal!

On Saturday, met some out-of-town friends for an early lunch. It was so early, it was really breakfast. And I took another class--Fixing Mistakes in Lace Knitting with Brooke Nico. This was another excellent class with the most wonderful teacher. Brooke took away a lot of the scary from lace knitting for me.

But I don't have any photos!

But picture this:
A hotel room converted into a classroom. A table in the middle of the room with two table lamps on it. (Terrible lighting for knitting.) A dozen knitters ripping out nine partial rows of their lace sample and then knitting them up again. Brooke was a patient and attentive teacher and I can't wait to make some mistakes in my knitting so I can use her technique.

On Saturday, I also went to a Vogue Knitting fashion show:

I'll make this dress when I grow another 12 inches and lose 100 pounds!

This sweater is so pretty. The back of it is all smocking.

A beach cover-up that will be in the Summer 2011 magazine.

And then there was the real-life fashion show:

So many talented people in one place!

Vogue Knitting will be bringing this event to Los Angeles, CA in September--but, I do hope they also come back to NYC!

Happy 5th Birthday!

2011-01-16T11:00:00.001-05:00

OOOOOOH! Balloons! There must be a party going on!

Lots of guests

CAKE! Two different types--and snacks, too.

Pearl-- the gracious hostess.

My party favors--a free pattern and a tchotchke box

And a gift for me from me to celebrate Knitty City's 5th birthday.

Knitty City is such terrific yarn store! Over the past five years, I've asked countless questions, bought I'm-afraid-to-think-of-how-much yarn and have taken some great classes. I often wonder if I'd be knitting if this store hadn't opened. I probably would be--but it wouldn't be as much fun.

First FO of 2011

2011-01-14T10:02:00.006-05:00

I finished this a week ago. It's Anne Hanson's Cabled Keyhole Scarf. The yarn is Zara in off-white. I did one extra repeat in the length of the scarf.

Anne published this pattern in December and already there's six pages in Ravelry. It's a quick and fun project that many are calling their "potato chip scarf" because you can't knit just one!

Seen in NYC

2011-01-09T10:01:00.000-05:00

Nice-looking hat being worn by a woman who was knitting on a bus. However, she didn't make this hat--her friend did.

I like the houndstooth check. Here's a link to the stitch.

I like the stitch so much, I had to make a swatch. (No projects are in mind--just wanted to practice the stitch. However, there's three pages of houndstooth patterns in Ravelry. . .

Another Snowy Day

2011-01-07T15:46:00.023-05:00

Another snowy day here in NYC. However, this time, I won't see anybody skiing down the street.

(Photo was taken on 12/27--after the blizzard of 20 inches of snow.)

Today's snow was short-lived and we only had a dusting of about an inch and a half.

Carrying an umbrella in the snow--this is something I just don't get it! Never saw such a thing till I moved to NYC.

In the photo, you can also see piles of garbage on the sidewalk. Because of the blizzard, my block hasn't had a garbage pick-up since before Christmas. (The Sanitation trucks double as snow plows. When the workers plow, they don't pick-up the garbage.)

After getting chores done early this afternoon, it was then a good day to get caught up with some neglected knitting

That's Ann Hanson's Cabled Keyhole Scarf. Cute and quick. A lot like this snowfall.

Christmas Eve 2010

2010-12-24T19:29:00.007-05:00

Presents have been wrapped. The roast is resting in the fridge. The last mince meat pie in this city has been found and bought. The tree is still standing!

And hubster and I have started a new tradition. Instead of the Feast of the Seven Fishes--we had the Supper of the Three Seafoods

Lobster Bisque and Clam Chowder--both very tasty--

and yummy Shrimp Rolls.

Thank you, Luke's Lobster!

Wishing everybody a delicious evening!

The Saga of the Tree

2010-12-23T12:14:00.036-05:00

On Sunday, hubster and I went to Zingone's for our tree.

The tree guy said, "I've got a great tree for you!"

The top of the tree was trimmed

and hubster hauled it home in our SUV (Sidewalk Utility Vehicle.)

Between giving the tree time to settle and me being busy, I didn't get a chance to decorate until Wednesday. So I blasted the Christmas music, made myself a cup of coffee spiked with eggnog and got to work.

As I added the many hand-made ornaments, I remembered the talents of loved ones who are no longer with us

and admired at the creativity of new friends.

And just as I was enjoying it all. . . . .

EEEEEEK!

After some tears and a phone call to the hubster at work, I assessed the damage. Not much. Only two ornaments were smashed.

Ornaments that were on the floor or were in precarious positions on the fallen tree were set aside in a bowl

and, when the hubster came home, we righted the tree. Next morning, more Christmas music and more coffee spiked with eggnog and I re-decorated.

And that's the end of the story--I hope!

Christmas 2010 in NYC

2010-12-21T14:05:00.018-05:00

I don't need the grand scenes in this city to get me into the Christmas spirit.
(Click on each photo to make larger.)

The trees and wreaths and lights in my neighborhood are enough for me.

And sometimes the smallest unexpected Christmasy thing makes me smile.

Seen in NYC

2010-12-01T09:36:00.003-05:00

See that hat? Let's take a closer look:

Yep, an entrelac hat. Love it!

This hat looks like it could be handknit and the yarn might be Noro. If I had been thinking and moving quicker, I would have stopped the woman and asked.

Ravelry has a few pages of entrelac hat patterns. This hat might be the Fourth Grade Hat or maybe even the Blustery Day Beret Entrelac Hat or perhaps the Cricket Hat -- but without the topknot--or it could also be Amanda's Entrelac Hat.

Anybody recognize the pattern, yarn or even the woman wearing the hat?

Here's a good tutorial for knitting entrelac. During the winter, I played around with entrelac and it was a lot of fun. Hmmmm. . . . I wonder if I have any Noro in the stash?

Parade Time Warp

2010-11-25T10:00:00.004-05:00

Right now I'm sitting on my couch watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. But let's go back a few hours. . . .

(Picture wavy lines, fog and spooky music here.)

Hubster and I stumbled out of bed at some ridiculous hour to dress in many layers and walked up to the end of our block to take photos of some of the floats being set-up.

These horses would soon be hitched to

the Calliope Wagon.

Yes, it was just about this dark!

Before too long, "rosy-fingered Dawn" appeared, (Bonus points to anyone who knows from where I'm quoting.

and it became easier to see what we could see.
(Photos can be clicked on to view in a larger size.)

Brooklyn cousins living in faraway places, this one's for you!

Because of the barriers set-up to facilitate a smooth-running Parade, we could only walk a few blocks. So we decided to get breakfast at Lenny's.

(Here comes the wavy lines, fog and spooky music again.)

And here we are in present time. Hubster is taking a nap before we go to Thanksgiving dinner with friends later today. And I'm viewing the Parade from a front-row seat--my couch!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T05:00:00.000-05:00

Too Cute

2010-11-23T18:30:00.013-05:00

Want to see something cute?

How about this.

These, too.

Here's a whole bunch of cuteness.

All of these sweet sweaters were made by my friend Roz--an extraordinary knitter. What pattern does she follow? None. Nada. No pattern necessary. She's made so many baby sweaters over the years that she can sit down and start knitting in whatever stitch and style she feels like at that moment.

And each sweater turns out perfect.

All of these cuties are gifts for babies present and future. There's babies who haven't been thought of yet who'll be the lucky recipients. I tell Roz she needs to make something for herself. She says she will---right after she makes another baby sweater.

Gawking

2010-11-18T15:27:00.018-05:00

Everywhere I looked at the Knitters Review Retreat, there was a beautiful knitted creation. I wish I had photos of all of them----but, here's just a a few.

At the Retreat

2010-11-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

There was knitting, knitting everywhere!

Plenty of hugs!

Lots of yarn winding.

Some people had jazz hands.

We all saw an angel

and there was heavenly yarn!

Speaking of yarn. . . next entry will be photos of some of the gorgeous knitting being worn by such talented knitters.

Stash Weeding

2010-11-16T09:38:00.002-05:00

What a weekend! More about the Knitters Review Retreat during the week. At this moment, I don't have the words to describe how wonderful it was.

But here's a little taste.

One feature of the Retreat is the stash lounge. We bring our unloved and unwanted yarn (books, patterns, magazines, needles) and leave them for anybody who wants to give them a good home.

This year I was ruthless when I went through my stash. This might be a sign of some yarn maturity. When I didn't know any better, I'd impulsively buy yarn with no thought about what I could do with it. This often resulted in odd amounts. Not enough for a sweater--but too much for a shawl. Or I'd buy yarn for a shawl or sweater and then find out the yarn was just too. . . itchy, soft, warm, fibery, slick, dull, thin, thick, twisty for me. And so it sat. Perfectly fine yarn but unloved and unwanted.

This is what I brought to the stash lounge:

Over the weekend, I kept checking the lounge to see which yarns I had brought were gone. By Sunday morning, I saw nothing of mine in the stash lounge anymore. All went to knitters who would appreciate them.

I'm also happy to report that I added very little to my yarn stash. Here's the yarn that followed me home. Of these skeins, only three were bought either at WEBS or at the Retreat's marketplace. All the others were in my Retreat goody bag. YES, you see Socks that Rock and YES that was in the goody bag!

Please don't think I'm currently yarn-deprived. I'm not. Here's the state of my stash right now. Only loved and hoped-to-be-used yarn remains.

And dare I make the promise that I'm starting a yarn diet? Only knit from the stash OR if yarn is bought, it's for a specific project. Something to think about.

On Our Way

2010-11-11T17:31:00.010-05:00

to the Knitters Review Retreat, my friends and I have taken a detour to 2,500 square feet of knitters paradise--

I only have this one photo of WEBS interior, because I was. . . uh. . . busy.

Actually, I showed remarkable restraint. But tomorrow is another day and we'll be hitting WEBS again in the morning.

Right around the corner from WEBS yarn store is their beading store. Gorgeous things! I keep saying I'm not into using beads in my projects. However, this store might make me change my mind.

Matchy-Matchy

2010-11-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

I'm a matchy-matchy sort of girl. Shoes and purse must be the same color. (Except in summer. . . yellow, orange or green purses are OK with black sandals.) Toenails and fingernails must be polished the same. (Um. . . summer exception again.) And undies? Yes, of course, they have to match. (However there is a dirty laundry exception.)

Seriously, though, I really, really, really am a matchy-matchy girl!

I have two pairs of green gloves that I rarely wear because none of my scarves have green in them.

So for the Knitters Review Retreat mindless knitting project, I decided to make a scarf to go with the gloves. But after a couple of false starts of both yarn and pattern,

I finally decided on the 22.5 Degrees Scarf using the recommended Wollmeise. Yes, the life-changing, magical Wollmeise is in my stash. However, it wasn't first choice because I thought it wouldn't match the gloves.

I was wrong. Horribly wrong. The rhabarber colorway matches and complements the gloves beautifully. And the feel and drape of the Wollmeise is incredibly wonderful! I knew immediately we had a match!

The Not-So-Silent Retreat Scarf

2010-11-07T17:43:00.013-05:00

It's Knitters Review Retreat time! My fourth year.

When I tell people I'm going on a knitting retreat, they have visions of devout women silently knitting. A soft and gentle scene.

Nothing could be further from this! Picture Times Square on New Years Eve. OK, it's not quite that. . . but almost.

100 or so women (and a few men) all chatting, laughing, gawking at our beautiful knitted sweaters, shawls, hats. Catching up with each other, telling jokes, sharing techniques, asking advice. Connecting our Knitters Review and Ravelry names with our real names, looking for old friends and getting to know new friends. There's a whirl of color and happy noise!

And our hands are busy knitting, knitting, knitting.

The first year I went to the Retreat, I brought a sock with me. Big mistake! Tiny needles, thin yarn, yarnovers, a chart. A recipe for disaster! I learned that, for me, the Retreat wasn't the place where I could work on something that needed close attention.

The next two years, I went into mindless knitting mode for the Retreat. Last year, I worked on the Orange Baktus. Garter stitch. Size 5 needle. A four row repeat. Perfect! I was able to knit and talk at the same time!

So now came the decision for this year. What to do? I thought about the baktus and how I like the look of striped ones. Then I found a pattern for another equally easy scarf.

But I wasn't crazy about making another baktus. And, though I really liked the pattern for the other scarf, the yarn just didn't seem right for it.

This very long story does have a happy ending.

To be continued. . . .

Finally Finished

2010-11-06T10:46:00.009-05:00

These bibs were almost two months in the making. Yes, I set them aside and got distracted by many, many other things. They sat for the longest while without the i-cord ties and border. But, being I was seeing the baby's grandmother yesterday, I finally finished them.

This is such a cute, easy pattern. However, I changed it up a bit by using the instructions for the applied i-cord and the ties from this bib.

The yarn used is Peaches & Creme.

Almost a Blog Entry

2010-10-24T14:47:00.005-05:00

I promised myself that I wouldn't post another blog entry till I finished something--

SO

The Clapotis is finished!

Well. . . sort of. I still have stitches to drop and ends to weave in.

Consider this sort of a blog entry.

Cast Away!

2010-10-10T10:10:00.001-05:00

I figured out the tubular cast on! Thanks to part 1 and part 2 of this video.

To cast on, I used a very long straight needle. (Thank you for the needles, Aunt Ellie!) As you can see, I kept the needle upright. And, when I knit the swatches, I tucked one needle under my arm.

Here are the swatches. The left one is the long-tail cast on. The right one is the tubular cast on. Something seems off and I'm not sure I like the look of it. Several people have suggested that I should try Eunny's tubular cast on and I will.

One more thing. The blue (almanac) yarn was asking to be something else. Thank goodness I have more Shelter yarn in hayloft to make the scarf!

Bedeviled

2010-10-08T11:00:00.002-05:00

Read over the pattern for the Wayfarer Scarf. Got stuck because it calls for a tubular cast on. Since this is a cast on I'm not familiar with, I looked it up here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

Using scrap yarn that I keep handy for practicing techniques, I attempted a few of these methods. However, this tubular cast-on is surely the work of the devil because I began to hear Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells."

I'm just not getting it. I liked Isolde's cast on (the first link) best--but distracted me couldn't keep up the rhythm of under, over, back, forward . . . Oh, it's sunny out. . . What was the name of my second grade teacher? . . . Casting on--right. Now where the heck was I?

And all those other ways to cast on? They just made my head spin around.

So I wound a skein to chase away the demons.

And started a swatch to get acquainted with the yarn and to see how it looks using different needle sizes.

I'll figure out this tubular cast on over the weekend. But if you don't hear from me in a few days, please send an exorcist. An exorcist who knits. And exorcist who knits and can do a successful tubular cast-on.

Gimme

2010-10-06T09:58:00.012-05:00

Shelter!

OH MY GOSH!

I'm weak--I'm the first to admit it. I tried to resist this yarn. I really did. But all it took was a gentle nudge. You know who I'm talking to, Jane.

What will this tweedy, yummy deliciousness be? That was an easy decision--Brooklyn Tweed's Wayfarer Scarf. I just love the look of the lines of this scarf. For somebody who barely passed NYS's geometry Regents Exam, it amazes me how my eye is drawn to knits that incorporate strong linear designs. And Mrs. Lenz, my geometry teacher, would be even more stunned since, in high school, I couldn't even figure out what a line was.

Yarn specifics: The color is almanac. I bought it at Loop--but the yarn can also be bought on Jared Flood's / Brooklyn Tweed's website.

I think I'll wind a skein of the yarn tonight and try it out during the game tonight.

Signs of Change

2010-10-03T14:27:00.026-05:00

The season (and temperatures) have changed. Some signs of:

Empty outdoor cafes on these chilly days

Pumpkins and gourds for sale

Christmas and Hanukkah displays in stores

No more pale, summery manicures and a handknit scarf

And, best of all, these tee-shirts:

A closer look--

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2010-09-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Also watch out for pointy sticks and yarn.

Hubster and I finally made it to a Yankee game the other night.

Agile players,

happy fans,

a monument for George Steinbrenner unveiled and a terrific game made it a good late-summer night.

From the Heart

2010-09-15T10:00:00.004-05:00

A year ago today, the hubster's heart was stopped, repaired and then returned to us. One year. 37,869,120 heartbeats. Each heartbeat stronger than the last. My heart that ached for his a year ago, now sings!

Fall Cleaning

2010-09-10T19:44:00.009-05:00

These cooler temperatures have put me in the mood to clean out some clutter. And a good place to begin is the pile of knitting magazines.

I started this project a couple of years ago. At that time, I thought I would fall into the good habit of immediately ripping and filing the patterns I liked as soon as I finished the magazine. But. . . we know how that goes.

Tonight, as I looked at the patterns, I kept my computer open to the "patterns" tab in Ravelry. How the finished product looked on real people and the knitters' comments helped me to decide if a pattern was a keeper or not.

I went from nearly three inches of magazines to one inch of patterns.

But look how much more I still have to go through!

The Brilliance of Knitters

2010-09-03T15:47:00.012-05:00

During vacation, I worked on the Jackie sweater. When we got home, I noticed this--

a wayward stitch! A rogue stitch that somehow slipped off the needle when I did a K2tog. I put a pin in it, the sweater went back into the project bag and I hoped that, by ignoring it, the problem would go away. It didn't.

Now what to do about it?

Ladder down to fix it? It seemed awfully far to drop and I didn't trust myself to successfully do this. Rip it back? UGH! I hate ripping back and always try to figure out ways to avoid this. Finagle a fix? That would involve knotting and weaving and not being totally sure that the stitch wouldn't get loose.

I continued to ignore it.

Wednesday evening, I went to my knit group. I didn't bring anything to work on because I just wanted to catch up with everybody. Since the women in the knit group are amazing knitters, I asked them what to do.

Most of them agreed that, given the circumstances, (it didn't show, stitch count wasn't affected) a finagle would be fine. Then one brilliant knitter remarked that since the wayward stitch is only a stitch or two from the edge, I could leave it be for now but to pick it up when I sewed the seam.

Went home--looked at the stitch, nudged it over to where the seam would be and YES I could do that! Neither the stitch nor fabric gets pulled and the wayward stitch would be nice and snug in the seam. Many thanks to C. for figuring this out!

So I'm back on track with knitting the sweater. The days are noticeably shorter and we've had brief moments of cooler weather. Sweater-wearing days will be here before we know it.

The E Train Mistake Headband

2010-08-25T09:03:00.009-05:00

The baktus scarf is now the baktus headband.

While I was working with this gorgeous yarn--Road to China--it felt very soft in my hands. BUT then I rubbed it against my neck. Razorblades! OK it was 90+ degrees -- not the conditions the scarf will be worn in. So I blasted the air conditioning in one room, sat right in front of the air and wrapped the fabric around my neck. Barbed wire! I tried this over a few days. No change.

I do have sensitive skin. Others rave about Kid Silk Haze and liken it to a cloud--a dream. Not me. KSH feels like nightmarish thunderbolts on my neck.

I suspect the alpaca and/or the camel may be the offending yarns. I'd never knit with either before--so now I know.

But what to do next? Frog it? Then I had an idea--I took what I had knitted and wrapped it around my head. Felt OK. My scalp and ears didn't itch. So I decided to repurpose it into a headband to be worn on the coldest of winter days.

Meanwhile, if you take a close look--you'll see a mistake:

Yep, one of the darker gray rows is wider than it should be. But that mistake is going to stay. When I noticed it, I laughed. This is the easiest of mindless knits and I make a freaking mistake?! Let this be a reminder to me to pay attention. It doesn't bug me at all--I actually find it funny.

I made this error while on the subway going to Queens to have lunch with two very old and dear friends. So I'm now calling it the E Train Mistake Headband and when I look at it, I'll remember the fun afternoon we had.

While this mistake doesn't bother me--I made one on something else that does. More about that later.

Something Different

2010-08-20T10:03:00.010-05:00

At the Greenmarket, I saw a flower-looking thing being sold and asked the vendor/farmer about it. She told me it was a zucchini blossom and that it had to be cooked. Here's how:

Pull out the stamens (or is it the pistils?), trim the stems and rinse the blossoms. There may be dirt or creepy-crawly things in them. Pat dry.

Then dip each blossom in a beaten egg and dredge in flour. I use Wondra. Breadcrumbs can also be used. Heat up olive oil in a pan and fry up the blossoms till golden brown.

It doesn't take long. About 2 to 3 minutes on each side. When done, drain on a paper towel and salt.

Delicious! Crunchy, salty with a light and delicate zucchini taste. It made a perfect appetizer.

In my next posting, I'll have something truly different--some knitting!

Greenmarket Goodies

2010-08-18T15:54:00.036-05:00

I approach the Union Square Greenmarket in much the same way as I go to Rhinebeck. I have a plan. First I do online research and take notes. What vendors do others recommend? What's looking good? When I arrive there, my plan is to walk around, look at everything and to jot notes on the places I want to return to.

Then I get to Union Square (or Rhinebeck) and become overwhelmed

by the merchandise and colors. Notes? Plans? What notes and plans??? Yep, just like Rhinebeck!

I go to the greenmarket for the ostrich eggs---NOT!

I went for the tomatoes. I just love, love, love tomatoes this time of year!

Here's my bounty--tomatoes and a few other things.

I immediately made myself lunch from some of these goodies

At least I controlled myself enough that I didn't start gobbling tomatoes before I got home.

One time I went to Rhinebeck and wound yarn in the parking lot. And if I had needles with me, I probably would have started knitting something from the yarn. I'm not known for my restraint when it comes to yarn (or tomatoes.)

Last Day of Fun

2010-08-13T10:19:00.009-05:00

One more sunset

and one more sunrise. And then our vacation will be over.

You know it's gonna be a good last full-day of fun by the lake when one has cold pizza for breakfast.

An Adirondack Birthday

2010-08-11T13:17:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I had an excellent

While hubster and I are spending the week at one Adirondack lake, one of his brothers and family are spending the week at Lake Placid. That's about an hour away from us. We had planned on getting together one day this week and then another brother and sister (hubster has four of each) who live sort of nearby decided they also had time to come to Lake Placid for a day. Schedules were consulted and yesterday--my birthday--was the day. Many thanks to the BIL and SIL who coordinated and hosted the gathering.

I can't believe I didn't take a photo of the lake! But if you look past the hubster and a BIL, it's there in the background. (BTW, the lake is Mirror Lake not Lake Placid.) It's really a gorgeous view from their place.

Much to my surprise there were some birthday festivities --cards

and, after a delicious lunch, I was presented with a huge, tasty birthday cupcake!

And we held an "orange food" tasting. There has been some dispute in the hubster's family as to who makes the best puffy orange cheese food snack. So this seemed a good opportunity to settle this.

The winner? Wise Cheese Doodles. However, there is much controversy surrounding the result because there was some vote changing and one of the voters may not have tasted all the puffy snacks. Plus only a small sample present participated in the tasting. And only four of the nine siblings were there. This doesn't seem very scientific to me. (My favorite? Snyder's of Berlin Cheese Curls. Not that I'm a sore loser or anything.)

Hubster and I then went into the village of Lake Placid for some birthday gift shopping. It's been a birthday tradition to add a charm or two to my silver, summer charm bracelet every year. This year the moose and the pine tree were added.

And a perfect birthday wouldn't be complete without a visit to a yarn store. Nice store with some lovely yarns. No yarn was bought, though. But I did pick up the new issue of Interweave Knits.

When hubster and I returned to our cabin, we enjoyed a birthday dinner of cheese (the real stuff--not "cheese food") and some homegrown (by a BIL) tomatoes and cucumbers. I love, love, love homegrown tomatoes and I really enjoyed these. And while watching for and hoping for a magnificent Adirondack sunset, I sipped the Vermont chardonnay that was a gift from a SIL.

The sunset didn't get the memo that it was supposed to be spectacular. But it was still a pleasant way to end the day.

And even if I don't win the 64 million dollar lottery (ticket thanks to a SIL)--I would say my birthday was a winner!

More than Knits and Purls

2010-08-09T19:45:00.025-05:00

There's always been something about the stitch pattern on the Jackie Sweater and the colors of the Briar Rose yarn that reminded me of something. Never could quite put my finger on it till the other day. . . .

An accident that the Jackie Sweater went into the knitting bag when I had to decrease what was coming on vacation? I don't think so. Some Knitting Power must have been the one who switched the two knitting bags and made me realize that I'm knitting the water, rocks and sand of this very special place.

Changes

2010-08-08T14:38:00.017-05:00

In the last Snit n'Knit post, I decided to bring five projects on vacation. Two bags worth of projects.

But when it came time to load the car, our building's elevator broke. We live on the sixth floor. It would have been impossible to schlep our ton of stuff down six flights of stairs. So we had to edit the boxes, bags, suitcases down to about half a ton and the knitting was a casualty of this downsizing. Two projects --- one bag.

I thought I had grabbed the striped baktus and the almost-completed clapotis.

Yep, that's the striped baktus and the Jackie Sweater. OOOOPS!

An unexpected change in my knitting plans. But that's OK.

Another change:

Look at that temperature! That's what it was when we arrived at the lake. Downright chilly then and, during the night, it got even chillier. Big change from the 90+ NYC temperatures!

However, there are some things that never change. And, for this, I'm happy!

Packed

2010-08-05T08:44:00.009-05:00

Packed and ready to go. . .

Well, yes, just the knitting is packed and ready for vacation. The lucky ones going to the mountains:
the Clapotis (I'm so close to finishing!)
the Jackie sweater (Before we know it, fall will be here and won't it be nice to have a new sweater.)
the striped baktus (I always intended that to be the vacation knitting.)
the Giotto scarves (No particular reason except they might be cute when finished.)
the mini lace things (Vacation seems a good time to try something different.)

I've also set aside a few woolen things--socks, shawl and a sweater. The temperatures promise to be a bit chilly.

Seen in NYC

2010-08-03T08:55:00.009-05:00

In the window of a vintage store--

a repurposed Aran knit sweater. Not my style--especially the gauzy frou-frou on the front (hard to see in the photo--click to enlarge) --but somebody had a vision that this would work as a purse. The price? $100.

Now What?

2010-07-31T15:28:00.022-05:00

Having finished the baby blanket and with a vacation get-away in a few days, I have the all important decision of what to bring to the mountains.

Here's the contenders:

The Clapotis. Almost finished.

I bought this yarn thinking I'd make a couple of cute, quick scarves. One of them will definitely be a gift.

A sock. There's always a sock.

I've been wanting to knit some of these mini laces just because.

The Jackie Sweater. Fall is coming and I'm still only on the back.

A striped baktus. Pure mindlessness.

Cobweb yarn on size 2 needles. Who am I kidding? But maybe. . . .

Stay tuned . . . I have a few days to decide. All opinions are gladly welcome!

The Secret Project

2010-07-28T17:05:00.017-05:00

isn't a secret anymore!

A baby blanket for the hubster's lovely, wonderful assistant.

Presenting the Sunny Baby Blanket.
Yarn: Plymouth Encore / color 0515 (used about 3 1/2 skeins)
Needles: size 7
Size: approx. 34" by 30"

The designer named the blanket the Sunny Baby Blanket because she used bright, sunny-yellow yarn. A friend suggested that I should re-name mine since nothing about it is sunny.

But I disagree. Since this baby could be born under the zodiac sign of Leo, his ruling planet might be the sun. (I do hope he'll be a Leo. After all, it is my favorite sign!) But, even more so, hubster and I wish the parents-to-be many, many sunny days ahead with their sweet baby boy.

Mountain Yarns

2010-07-19T09:49:00.019-05:00

The wedding in the Catskills was lovely. It truly reflected the interests and values of the young couple. (Photo taken by the hubster.)

Since we had a few hours before the wedding on Saturday, we explored the area and guess what?! We found a yarn store! What a surprise!

This is the owner of Mountain Yarns--the very talented Tina.

She spins

and weaves

and has the coziest shop full of goodies.

And I didn't want Tina to think that I was a brash, rude New Yorker--so, of course, I had to buy some "courtesy yarn." Just think of me as a one-person NYC Committee of Politeness.

The yarn is handspun and dyed by Tina and is a combination of wool, bamboo and angora. I think this yarn is asking to be My So Called Scarf.

The Road--Again!

2010-07-15T15:34:00.018-05:00

Chez Snit n'Knit 's theme song these days:

Last weekend, I was off to Boston to hang out with a niece. Had a wonderful time. K and I shopped, laughed, ate, shopped, saw beautiful sights, had heartfelt chats, shopped, experienced a power failure. . .

And the oh-so-considerate Amtrak actually gave me an extra hour and three minutes to knit the secret project on the way there.

Meanwhile, the hubster was off on his own adventure in the Pacific Northwest with some submarine veteran buddies.

We both returned home for a couple of days. And now we're off to the Catskill Mountains for a family wedding this weekend. I might actually get enough travel-knitting time to finish this secret knitting project.

But, if I don't finish--on Tuesday, I'm back on Amtrak. This time to DC to meet up with some old friends for a couple of days. And if I don't finish the secret project then---I'll never finish it!

Boston Baked Bag

2010-07-12T02:47:00.017-05:00

It was sizzling in Boston over the weekend. And a sizzling new bag has been added to my knitting bag collection.

It's not being sold as a knitting bag--but isn't it perfect? And, yes, that's actually some knitting peeking out from the top.

If you want to see another fabulous bag, check out what's come off the multi-talented Sonja's needles.

Heading Out

2010-07-07T19:34:00.003-05:00

Will be on my way to Boston to hang out with a niece.

Don't let this photo fool you. Only the green bag is packed. And, yes--of course-- that's the knitting bag.

Strike Up the Band

2010-07-03T16:00:00.021-05:00

One 4th of July tradition is to gather in a town's square and listen to a local band play patriotic tunes.

New York City is no different from other places. We meet in a town center

and listen to a local group play soul-soaring, uplifting music

We just seem to do things on a bigger scale here!

The concert was fabulous! In this video, the conductor describes the program and you'll also hear a few snippets of the music.

Wishing everybody some beautiful music this weekend!

Double Cute

2010-06-28T10:42:00.000-05:00

A quick, cute baby gift!

I merged two patterns.

For the bib, Grandma's Favorite (Ravelry link) from Nekkedknitter (Scroll down--the pattern is towards the bottom of the page.)

Since I'd never done an applied i-cord, I followed the applied i-cord instructions from the Baby Bandana Bib (Ravelry link,)

Yarn: from Pisgah Yarns--Peaches & Creme
Needle: Size 8--but I used size 7 for the i-cord.

Something Different

2010-06-25T16:50:00.008-05:00

Actual, real, live KNITTING being shown on this KNITTING blog!

And--get the smelling salts ready-- by Monday, there may be more knitting shown here!

Stay tuned! Have a terrific weekend!

Old Friends

2010-06-17T07:08:00.012-05:00

The cameras at Yankee Stadium caught these two fans last night:

Recognize them?

Yep, Simon & Garfunkel. I can't help but think of this beautiful, brilliant song.

And I wonder, when they sang these words, if they had a glimpse of their future--
"Can you imagine us years from today,
Sharing a parkbench quietly
How terribly strange to be seventy"

In 2011, both will be turning 70.

When did my world get so old?

J is for

2010-06-11T08:46:00.000-05:00

jicama!

Jicama is a Mexican root vegetable--it's crispy and sweet and easily found in NYC markets.

Sonja and I had been having an email discussion about jicama because she found an interesting cole slaw recipe where jicama is an ingredient. She wasn't familiar with the vegetable and asked me about it. During my low-carb days, I used to prepare jicama as a snack food and I had forgotten how much I like it.

Here's what I do:

Peel the jicama.
Cut a slice off each end so it easily sits on the cutting board. Since the outer layer is quite thick, take a sharp knife and make a slit. You can then peel it off in strips. Use your hands--it's like peeling off wallpaper. I cut off those brown bits,

slice up the jimaca and put the pieces into a ziplock bag.

Squeeze limes over the slices (I used two limes for this jicama--but I wish I had a third one.)

Chop and add cilantro.

Shake the bag and put in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

Tasty and refreshing on a hot summer day!

How to serve it:
Add salt, chili powder or hot pepper flakes and crunch away.
Scoop up salsa, hummus or dip with the jicama slices.
Make a margarita or mojito and enjoy!

I is for

2010-06-09T07:07:00.008-05:00

interlude. Something short and simple between the drama of the sweater and the spectacle of the stealth project. A thing that can be thrown in my purse for when I know my knitting will be interrupted.

An intermission. A break from stitches, rows, pattern. Just garter stitch and an increase every fourth row.

Something not-very-interesting and boring to chill out with on these warm days.