Stasia's Place Of Grace

Thursday, October 31, 2002

 

Finis!

I am pleased to report that the "Welcome Back, Old Friend" gray, cable-knit tunic turtleneck, from Interweave Knits Fall, 2000 issue, is finished! What a long project this has been for me!

However, I will not be wearing it to the party tonight, as I'd like to wash and block it first. As with most oversized sweaters knit flat (in pieces), it has gorilla arms. :-(

The measurements are all as indicated on the pattern; it seems that the sleeve length would be correct, but the stitch pattern on the sides of the body is really stretchy, and that adds to the sleeve length when the sweater is worn. Perhaps after blocking it will not be so noticeable. It is a great sweater anyway, but will probably be reserved for casual, around-the-house wear rather than a "showpiece."

I wish more patterns would be knit in the round, a la Cottage Creations or Cabin Fever knits! I really prefer to pick up sleeves and knit them down to the correct length, trying the sweater on as I go.

I now know why the sweater was photographed for IK on a model with her arms held straight out!

But I'm happy that this two-year project has come to a close. The seaming up proved relatively painless, but weaving in the ends took forever because of the nubbly yarn. I thought I'd go blind!

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What am I wearing to the get-together my mother is hosting for my sister, who's visiting from California? An orange sweatshirt, a purple turtleneck, and of course my orange, purple, lavender and camel Meilenweit spooky sox, complemented by clear, see-through Lands' End clogs! (They're hard to find on their website - you may have to e-mail, as I did, for more info.)

My mother made chili, so I think my non-meat-eating sister will thank her lucky stars that I will come bearing a sushi tray from my favorite sushi shop.

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Looking for creative gifts for the little ones on your list? Things like craft or cookie baking kits, educational toys, musical instruments? If I had kids, I'd shop for everything at HearthSong. Take a peek - they have wonderful stuff, including a knitting kit!

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Works In Progress

• Regia socks, my own pattern, in the "Sylt" colorway.

• Second funky hat, my own pattern, with spiral curlicue "hangy thingies" at crown, in Red Heart "Artists Print" leftovers.

• Considering a sweater - a top-down turtleneck with raglan sleeves - in more of the above acrylic... yes, I found it at another store and admit I bought them out of it. I know, I know, I said I'd never make another sweater, and - egads - can you believe I'd make one from acrylic?

  But with no seaming, well... what do you think? There is something about the colors of this yarn that I find particularly healing, and it really does soften upon being washed.

• Have ordered two hanks of Louet Gems Merino Sport from Handknitting.com in "Taupe" and "Caribou" to make the little "Leaf Cravats" in the Winter 02/03 Interweave Knits. How could I pass up a colorway called "Caribou?"

• Have ordered two purple-based colorways of Brown Sheep Wildfoote sock yarn from Linda's source, The Knitting Knook in Vermont. Purple socks will abound in our household, as well! Linda has a photo - the only color I didn't get was the lighter, lavender one.

• Wanted to make a lace Indecieta alpaca scarf from the current Vogue Knitting and was all set to order the yarn... then saw that the magazine didn't even provide a chart for the lace pattern.

  Fuggedaboudit, I'm not reading lace in text!

  Like Larry, I'm less than thrilled with this issue. In fact, I really don't like (to make) any of the "fully fashioned" type of patterns that VK offers. I don't know why I continue to subscribe, except I'd somehow feel I was missing out on something if I wasn't getting it!

• Silk scarves remain to be woven - I haven't progressed beyond sleying the reed, but am still very psyched about the project and anticipate getting to it soon.

• A nostie I'd ordered for a gift, and the stand which just arrived for my Ashford rigid heddle loom (I was scared I'd smash it, keeping it on the floor), both need to be finished. Will get out my Wood Beams this weekend.

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I hope you will have a very happy Halloween/Samhain tonight! I plan to sit and visit with old family friends and my sister, and knit on my Regia socks. Maybe if I'm lucky, there will be some old scary movies on cable at my mother's (we don't have cable here, and I miss AMC at the holidays!)

Gotta run - have to get the dogs out, grab my knitting, and pick up that sushi platter!

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Tuesday, October 29, 2002

 

Finished Object

Today I am grateful that I have finished, washed, and packaged the camoflage socks for The Ships Project:

They are ribbed on the instep and the ankles and will fit someone with very large feet.

I realize that my socks look bizzare when laid flat like this. But if you could see them on a pair of feet, they fit like... well, gloves! I love a short-row heel (I do mine with yarnovers and not wraps) because there is no extra fabric popping out of the heels of your shoes when you wear them. I love a Turkish toe because, again, it snugs right up against your feet and there's no "excess" to moosh around in your shoes.

Someday I will take a photo and show you and you can see what I mean. But for now, please know they look better in real life and on real feet!

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I am also grateful that, after not having a working one for over a year, a new water softener was installed today! No more orange undershirts for Jeff! No more rusty tub for me!

I celebrated with a long, hot soak in the bath - just what I needed after listening to the dogs barking feverishly at the installer this afternoon. My aching head!

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Finally, I'm grateful that Jeff arrived home safely from Canada last night, despite a big snowstorm in Calgary. I'm exhausted after a week of caring for the dogs alone - it is good to have him home again! (And now I will have someone to play Harry Potter Uno with!)

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Have a lovely Wednesday! I have promised myself that I am going to do the things I most don't want to do on Wednesday: balance the checkbook, seam my gray sweater, and groom my rabbit. Ugh.

Then on Thursday, I get to rest and knit all day, because I have to save my energy as my sister is flying in from California that afternoon, and my mom has planned a get-together with all of our family friends. So that will make up for my all-work-Wednesday!

(Now let's see if I actually do it!)

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Sunday, October 27, 2002

 

Grateful For...

• Finding some interesting beads and leather cord to make a "mindfulness bracelet." I'm going to work on it, and my Story Beads from Kary, this week.

• Having a sudden fit of... something, I warped my four-shaft loom (soon to be an eight-shaft) with a silk scarf kit from Treenway Silks which I'd received as a very special gift... a loooooong time ago! (Thanks, Keach!) I feel great about getting this project underway - even if all I've done so far is sley the reed.

  It is amazing to me that I have started a new weaving project so soon after finishing the last. Normally I wait about six months between them! But I am growing less afraid of the warping process now.

• Making a pinyon wood fire (the last of the wood!) in my firepit today to keep me warm as I waited outside for trick-or-treaters. I only saw about seven kids, and one dog (who was very grateful for his giant Iams biscuit!)

  It was too cold out to knit or spin, but I had a nice, quiet time watching the birds at the feeders, and listening to the wind in the remaining tree leaves. Our birch trees are golden now, and the leaves show so nicely against the white trunks.

• Having homemade oxtail-barley soup on fall evenings.

• Taking the dogs out for their afternoon walks on the weekend and smelling the smoke from all our neighbors' wood fires in their fireplaces. Alas, we only have an artificial fireplace! But I can enjoy the scent of their fires, and of burning leaves, on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

• Actually waking up at a reasonable hour today, and being able to stay up and out of bed all day!

  I will try to go to bed early to stay on this schedule... like Nan, I've been staying up until the wee sma's, but unlike Nan, I don't get up early!

Current Projects

Three new spindles finished and for sale at Grafton Fibers.

Camo colored socks for The Ships Project. I am up to both ankles now.

Gray sweater - I am determined to seam up sides and finish this week.

Funky hat number two - I'm just starting the I-cord, but found another pattern for a corkscrew I-cord so will probably re-start this. I liked the first one so much, I want to make another.

Regia Sylt Socks - still at toe of first one. This was my, "Oh no, I've nothing portable on my needles," project that was started at the German beer pub. Haven't done anything with it since. Love the colorway, though!

The white hat in the current issue of "Interweave Knits" looks very interesting, too!

So, see all those projects? See Stasia not sticking to the "one project at a time" rule?

I discovered something. If I stick to that rule, and don't start things when I'm inspired to start them, I may never start them. I'd rather have a pile of unfinished things around than never start things at all. If I'd waited until I'd seamed up my gray sweater, I wouldn't have the new ruana or hat or scarf, or (almost) two pair of socks for The Ships Project.

Do I feel guilty about the sweater? Yes, it shouts at me from my "to do" list every day! But I will get to it... eventually.

And most importantly, when the opportunity arises to meet my friend Di for some public knitting and social time, or if I have a doctor's appointment, or if I must wait for Jeff at the auto service center, I don't ever want to be caught without something on the needles again. It was a horrible feeling!

I guess I will have a messy, slow-to-come-to-fruition, but inspired fibery life from now on. No more silly rules... for now, anyway!

Don't put off 'til tomorrow what you can knit today!

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