Chocolate High

I think I've finally figured out how other people manage to write regular blogs: they eat chocolate. Yep, that's what has happened to me. I actually cooked a nice dinner - pork tenderloin, rice and kolrabi cole slaw. That didn't satisfy us. Both Taylor and I desired a little dessert so I whipped up a batch of brownies after dinner. Big mistake. Brownies before bed has left me with a chocolate high. So, after tossing around in bed, I'm up knitting and thinking it's a good time to blog.

Here's the latest in knitting at my house. I'm chugging along nicely on the Diminishing Rib Cardigan from the Spring 2009 Interweave Knits. I'm actually getting close to the bottom which means I'm starting to be a little concerned about learning how to do the tubular bind off. It will work out, I'm sure. Just a little pre completion anxiety. I have to remind myself I managed the tubular cast on so what's to keep me from the bind off?

In the meantime, I noticed that the June/July Tangled Web knit along is the Summer Shell designed by no other than Momogus. Should I join in, or not? Of course I should. So I went down to the Web on Wednesday and picked up some nubbly Waikiki yarn in a color called Cool Jazz. It has blues/purples/greens. It's been sitting in it's bag calling me for several days but I've been focused on the Diminishing Ribs.

Well, after late night chocolate, Cool Jazz finally won. Here I am, making my swatch and starting the Summer Shell in the middle of the night. I cast on my 208 stitches without running out of yarn, and I've completed two rows. I'm hoping that I've got things set up properly so I don't have the mobius business going on. The circular needle is all wonky, the nubbly yarn is hard to control, I'm doing seed stitch and it is the middle of the night. I've checked and doubled checked but who knows how things will look in the morning? I forgot to mention that I don't actually have the pattern either. Diana (Momogus) was all sold out of the V-neck pattern so she just told me how to get started. I've got my notes scribbled on a piece of scrap paper that I found in my purse. If that isn't trust, I don't know what is. She'll get the pattern to me next week, so I've got enough info to start.
I cannot believe I am up so late!!!! I think I'll go knit a few more rows and perhaps read my book in hopes that exhaustion sets in soon. After all, I always get up early and a lack of sleep won't be good at all.

Bloggable Moments

It is pitiful that it's taken so long to get back to my blog. So much for the spontaneity and immediacy of blogging. In the last blog I whined about my refusal to follow directions (notice that I didn't write inability – I know I have the ability, my mind just refuses) and the constant need to rip. I also carried on about not liking my finished project. Oy, what a whiner.

So what have I been doing? I went on a trip to Brays Island, Savannah and Charleston. My, that would have been wonderful blogging. I've been to a number of wonderful nurseries and planted my garden – as small as it is. I've done a whole bunch of home improvement projects all of which were blog worthy. Especially the project about living with a 230 pound treadmill smack dab in the middle of my garage and getting it hauled down to the basement and assembled. Not only was that a major event in our lives, it was accomplished in less than a month- or maybe a month exactly. I also managed to get a good size painting project done. I haven't been idle.

Well…………………all those bloggable moments lost. But today's event will go recorded.

My wonderful husband came to me while I was working on my morning beauty routine in the bathroom. It turns out that he needs a photo of himself immediately. "Work" has been requesting a photo for two weeks, and he, who hates to have photos taken of him, blew off the requests. Well, "work" took the upper hand and used his mug shot where he insists he looks like a jack o lantern and that snapped hubby into submission. "Can you take a photo now?" So I left my own beauty routine half complete, grabbed the camera and here's what I got:

Not bad for 7 in the morning. Now, back to my own beauty routine.

Knitting on the Road

The crisis has been averted, but................I'm still not happy.

About a week after I ran out of green yarn for the shrug/vest, the ever brilliant and conscientious Tangled Web ladies presented me with the skeins of yarn that I needed to finish the project. These women are indeed geniuses who somehow searched the country for the two different skeins that I required. I piled said shrug and requisite yarn in the car with a few other knitting projects for our trip to Savannah and Charleston. After many unsuccessful miles of working on my diminishing rib cardigan, I was in need of positive reinforcement so I took up the shrug to complete on our second day of driving. I finished the knitting, sewed up the seams and stuffed it back in my bag.

When we reached our destination I tried it on and.........................yuck, I don't like it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I simply don't have the shrug type body. Why did I not notice this before starting this project? Oh I know why: I wanted a simple project to do while waiting for my cotton bamboo, AND the shrug looks great on the midget size manikin in the Tangled Web window. Well.............it was simple, I finished in less than two weeks, and it too would look good on a manikin.

So, I'm letting it sit for a while and then I think I'll rip it, rip it, rip it, and make either Elizibeth Zimmerman's Rib Warmer from her Knitting Workshop, or Sally Melville's Asymmetrical Vest, in Book 1: The Knit Stitch.

Continuing on our low country sojourn, and still in need of some positive reinforcement, I started knitting Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Sweater on Two Needles from her Knitting Workshop. I knit this several years ago with great success for baby Chloe, and I thought it would be perfect for the new baby, Alice Mae. And, isn't it adorable? It is perfect for Alice Mae who was born on April 7, one day after my birthday. Alice Mae is named after my mother, and her own grandmother. A very special baby indeed.

The sweater, however, caused me some grief. Since I had knit it before I didn't bother checking the glossary for special instructions and just started knitting. After finishing the yoke, and about an inch of lace, I realized that the increases looked horrible. I had done all my M1s by picking up the horizontal bar. When I finally checked the glossary I saw that EZ wanted me to make a simple backward loop for M1. Rip, rip, rip. It's funny how, when following directions, things often work better. I also have to admit that it isn't the sweater that caused me grief, it's my own impulsivity (not checking the directions).

After the initial blunder, the sweater knit up well and by the time we got home I had finished the yoke, a bit of the lace and one arm. I did branch out from the directions on the arms in that I knit them in the round, thus avoiding sewing seams. I was happy for this improvisation and I think EZ would have approved. The next day I finished the second arm, and a few days later the rest of the sweater was complete. I've washed it, blocked it and sent it off in the mail for little Alice Mae. I'm hoping she hasn't out grown it by now - you know how babies do that?

Happy Mother's Day

Alice and Jamar

1955

Crisis

I'm having a knitting crisis:

I'm almost finished with my lime green wool shrug/vest – only 1 inch to go!!!! And I'm out of yarn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I ran down to my LYS to get more and would you believe they don't have any more of either of the two yarns I'm using? They are going to do some kind of a search to see if they can locate more for me. In the meantime, I suppose I should think of a creative way to finish the project with maybe a stripe of a different color. Or perhaps I should not think about it, in hopes that I get more of the same yarn?

In the meantime I'll start swatching for the Diminishing Rib Cardigan. I've got this yummy Cotton Bam Boo yarn. Can't wait to try it.

I also appreciate the fact that my crisis is only in my knitting. It's not a terribly serious crisis in the big picture. Thank goodness.

Old Blog, New Tricks

This is a quick test to see if I can write in Word and publish on my blog. If we can read this, it can be done.

Oh my goodness, it worked.

An old dog is learning new tricks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

a rainy day in Manhattan

This is what we did yesterday, a rainy day in Manhattan:

1. buy our all day Fun Passes for the subway
2. coffee and rolls at Corrado Bread and Pastry at Lex & 70th
3. visit the Fricke Collection. we went to see the 5 paintings on loan from the Norton Simon collection, and were wowed by the entire place. we will definitely be back.
4. too wet to explore the knit shops in the neghborhood, so we took the subway down to the West Village
5. lunch at A Salt and Battery. possibly the best fish and chips ever. only 7 stools, but we perservered and got 2 stools by the time our fish was ready. while sitting in the window, munching our fish, we watched both the hipsters and the yoga practioners walk by.
6. a very long stroll in the rain to the Lion Brand shop. they had a darling window, but guess what? Closed for Easter holiday.
7. a very long trudge back to the subway and home

I don't think I've been as wet since I was a little girl in Portland, Oregon, walking to school in the rain. Taylor reminded me that we had a wet day in Manhattan with Syvart about 5 years ago. Then I remembered a very wet hike along the Washington coast with our friends the Andrews, and our 4 children. Of course, Cheryl and I used to get soaked running in the rain in Olympia, Washington. I've been wet before. Each time just feels the wettest.

By the way, we've got blue sky and sunshine today.