Crazy Knitting

Hello. These are the Voices in Mary's Head speaking. Mary can't come to the blog right now. She's having an hallucination.

Do you remember how she has the following on the needles?





The Forest Canopy Shawl only needs about 8 more rows. The feather and fan shawl is about half-finished.

And she's been blabbing about starting the Honeybee Stole




And Mary has forgotten about them, but we haven't


The Tabloid Socks

She has these plus other unblogged about UFOs and what does she go and do? She buys MORE yarn for another shawl.



She argued with us:
"Oh, it's an easy-peasy shawl. Idiot lace. One row of purl, one row of lace."
"It'll be fast. Big needles."
"We're going to a family thing next weekend. Wouldn't this shawl be pretty?"

We argued back:
"Your use of the phrase 'easy peasy' is annoying."
"You're a slow knitter. You waste knitting time by reading blogs, staring into space and cleaning out the kitty litter. AND big needles hurt your hands."
"The family event is a BBQ in Ohio. Hunks of grilled meat, and s'mores do not require the donning of a lace shawl."

She's delusional and clueless.
OH NO. . . . quick, somebody stop her! She's hovering over the swift with the yarn!

In the Honey

Looky look what came in the mail today



Blue Moon Fiber Arts Oregon Red Clover Honey laceweight.

I couldn't keep my hands off it!





I have a few things to finish and work on before I begin the Honeybee Stole. But the Honey will be waiting patiently.

Jumping into the Honey

My Mom once asked the typical Mom question, "If everybody were jumping off a building, would you? " My answer, "I'd have a parachute and then, sure, probably I'd jump."

That answer describes my current knitting obsession.

Since I first saw the triangular Bee Fields shawl, I've adored Anne Hanson's design. But, I wasn't crazy about the butt-emphasizing, row-increasing shape.

Whew, close one! Nearly jumped.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, Anne tells us that a Bee Fields rectangular stole is being test-knit and that a pattern would be forthcoming.

I start creeping towards the edge.

Then Cara of January One starts knitting Bee Fields in the most gorgeous honey shade -- Oregon Red Clover Honey from Blue Moon Fiber Arts.

This is when I impulsively placed a yarn order.

But I backed off again and cancelled it.

For days, I mulled and thought. And thought and mulled. I simply couldn't get the pattern or yarn out of my head.

Last week, I jumped.

My Evil Enabling Birthday Twin, Margaret is knitting the Bee Fields triangle and then she went and ordered the Oregon Red Clover Honey to knit the stole! When she pictured the yarn in all its red-golden honey-ness, I knew that I couldn't resist for another minute.

AND, at the same time, Anne announced that the Honeybee Stole pattern would soon be available.

My parachute? I joined the Bee Fields KAL.

I'm somewhat nervous about this because, lace and I have not had a happy history. But, love of pattern and yarn will conquer the fears.

I was hoping the yarn would be here when I returned from Washington, DC--but, it wasn't. However, I bought the pattern and will be spending this weekend studying it.

TechKnitter had an entry on June 13th about creating a chart of a chart for lace knitting. This I'll be studying also.

Have a good weekend, everybody!

Fried in DC

My plan for today in Capital City, USA was to stroll over to the Corcoran Gallery to see the Annie Leibovitz show. Yeah, the one I was too lazy to see in Brooklyn.

It's about a hundred eighty zillion degrees out there today. The Gallery is only three long blocks away. On the way there, I trudged past



Get to the Corcoran Gallery. Sweaty, red-faced. Have to check my bottle of water. Find out that, d'uh, I'd misread the sign. Leibovitz's show will be there in the fall. OK, my brain is fried. I didn't connect that October 2007 hadn't happened yet.

However, I enjoyed these pussycats outside the Corcoran





And the exhibit they did have was interesting. Impressionism, Realism, Modernism: Works on Paper from the American Collection. American art: etchings, drawings, lithographs from 1880 to 1950ish. Among the artists: Edward Hopper, Isabel Bishop, Childe Hassam, John Sloan. Many scenes from NYC--Coney Island, Washington Square.

Then I had to leave. Took a cab back to the hotel. Worth every penny.

My afternoon plans include:



While here in DC, I not only bought some souvenir yarn but, looky look at this beautiful necklace:



Yes, Margaret, this is my "from me to me" gift for our mutual special day.

Can't wait to get back to NYC because I hear that something's abuzz.

Bethesda Deliciousness

What is more tasty on a hot, hot, hot summer day than a mint chip ice cream cone from here



unless it's going to a yarn store



that has many flavors of yummy yarn



and getting four flavorsome scoops of



and one scrumptious scoop of



Many thanks to Andrea and Dietrich of Knit and Stitch = Bliss in Bethesda, MD for making me feel so very welcome in the store and for pointing me in the direction of Gifford's Ice Cream and Candy.

Knit and Stitch is easy to get to on the Metro. (I nearly passed out when I saw the escalator at the Bethesda stop--but, thankfully, there's an elevator.)



The store is comfortable with lovely yarns and Andrea and Dietrich are two of the nicest and helpful salespeople I've ever met. I didn't think I'd want to buy yarn when it's 98 degrees out, but. . .

The tasty bits of "souvenir yarn" purchased are:
Shi Bui Knits sock yarn. The color is Wasabi.
And I couldn't resist Art Yarns Beaded Silk Rhapsody in silver.

DC Diversions

You'd think I was going to Washington DC for four months rather than four days



This is just some of the stuff I'll be carrying on the train to amuse myself.
Forest Canopy Shawl, the Vacation Feather and Fan Shawl, the Tabloid Socks, a few mysteries, some snacks.

Please note the purple post-it notes in the tour book--those are directions to various yarn stores.

Thank you, everybody, for all your suggestions!

Computer is coming with me--so, I hope to be blogging from Capital City, USA.

See ya!

DC Decisions

No, not "Who's it gonna be in 2008?" decisions

Much more interesting stuff--on-the-road knitting activities!

Next week, I'll be going to Washington DC for a few days to enjoy the heat and humidity. Taking the train there and back. Staying in a hotel. Hanging out with friends in the evenings. Doing nothing during the (hot and humid) days.

Will I do the sights? I doubt it. Been there, done that.

Besides, geez, I live in NYC. I HATE getting out and about *here* in the summer. Too hot and too crowded with folks from Oshkosh who block the sidewalks. I love being holed up in my dark, cool cave of an apartment when the people from Peoria are trooping around town with their cameras and fanny packs. ***

Why would it be anything different in Washington?
Temperatures will be in the mid to upper 90s. Lots of tourists. Plenty of humidity.

So, now it's decision time.

Yarn stores to visit? Any daytime knitting groups?
Anyone have any suggestions? They have to be accessible by Metro or (better yet) cab. I don't mind traveling to the suburbs.

What knitting to bring?
Forest Canopy Shawl--maybe.
Victorian Lace Shawl--might be good for train knitting.
Tabloid Socks--would really like to finish them
Something new? Hmmmmmm. . . . . Maybe some cotton socks?

Is there any can't-be-missed sight that I should put on the fanny pack for?

(***Love ya, tourists! I really, really do.)