Twinknit

I promised y’all photos from San Antonio.  Alas, I got back to Philly over a week ago, and no photos.

San Antonio was beautiful–warm, sunny, and professionally rewarding.  Unfortunately, my trip to San Antonio was also the calm before a completely unexpected disaster of a storm.  I’m in over my head right now, and I think an official hiatus from the blog is necessary.  It should only be a month–and who knows, maybe I’ll keep on posting anyway.  But I need a release from feeling guilty (or feeling like I might lose you all) if I don’t.  Trust me, I’ll be back.  I’ve been knitting with a vengeance lately, and I hope to have a Tangled Yoke to show you in not too much time.  You can keep up with me over on flickr.  I’ll be reading my bloglines, so keep entertaining me (as always) with the fibery and non-fibery adventures of your lives.  And I will still be updating and lurking on Ravelry.  But for the meantime, I’m gonna let the blog fall silent.

Happy Spring!  I’ll see you whent this is all over!

… ’cause I’m leaving town tomorrow for a conference and am frantically trying to finish my conference paper (I know, I know. But this one totally snuck up on me!).

Yeah. So I’m leaving tomorrow for a conference in San Antonio. Things have been stressful (and grumpy) lately, and I thought that it wouldn’t hurt to reward myself for my good behavior with a leeetle bit of souvenier yarn. Afterall, I’ve never been to Texas, and a nice pair of socks or something to commemorate the trip seems totally appropriate. Right? This is where you guys come in. See, like I said, I’ve never been to Texas. And I was wondering, with all of your wisdom about things yarny, if anyone know of any good yarn stores in San Antonio (preferably a place I can get to without renting a car). Any and all crafty suggestions welcome. In return, I promise sunny photos from a place that is almost twice-the-degrees warmer than it has been in Philly lately.

Also — thanks all for your warm, helpful comments after my last post. I’m sorry I haven’t gotten back to most of you. I’ve been a little swamped. But things will hopefully clear up soon, and then I can show you the knitting I’ve been doing!

I had a dream the other day that I was done with my dissertation.  I was at graduation, walking down the pedestrian walk-way at my school in a haze of sunshine.  The only lasting impression from this dream that was able to I carry with me into waking was a sense of overwhelming elation, of joy, of complete peace of mind.  Secretly, I was hoping that this would motivate me and add some pleasure to the increasingly unpleasant level of stress, anxiety, and downright apathy I’m feeling toward all things work related.  Unfortunately, it didn’t.  I’m grumpy.  I’m impatient.  And, honestly, I’m feeling more than a little depressed.

So this weekend I took some time to try and remedy this.  I can’t afford yarn therapy right now, but I did dig out my stash from the pile of still-packed boxes in my office and found some particularly yummy yarns that I thought might improve my (admittedly limited) spare time.

Two of these are on their way to becoming Nancy Bush creations (my, it’s been a while since I’ve done a heel flap!).  I also have *two* FOs to show you, but (as of yet) no time to photograph them.  Soon, my pretties, soon.

Thanks, friends, for hanging in there with me!

These took way, way, way longer than they should have. I cast on as a quick project in December and (sigh) two months later, here they are:

Pattern: Dashing (from Knitty, Spring 2007)

Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted Delight, in “Frost Gray” (under a skein… this stuff has wonder-yardage)

Needles: US 5 and US 4 dpns

Thoughts: Well… other than the fact that they took inordinantly long for me to knit (all due to my own mistakes), this is a lovely pattern and works extremely well with Malabrigo. Really, it was a pleasing knit, even with my complete and utter inability to read the simplest directions. As a result, there are some modifications, both accidental and incidental. Accidental: I knit the part above the thumb 6 rows longer than required. I find the extra long hand to be rather pleasing actually. They can be worn up to warm the fingers, or rolled down to facilitate finger-function. They are also rather longer below the cables due to a similar inability to read. But this makes no difference — they just act as arm warmers as well. Incidental: I only had US 4s in short dpns, which make thumb knitting much easier than the longer dpns. So I used them. They resulted in a snugger thumb, which I find pleasing and not one ounce restricting. I’d do it again. All in all, a terrific knit that I’d probably do again–this time, I’d pay better attention. They are a gift, so I hope the recipient feels the same.

Anyway — Phoebe likes them!

’cause sometimes, I need a treat.

Shibui sock, 100% superwash, for some wild colorwork goodness in my future.

From the Loopy Ewe.

Today is the perfect first day of February — gloomy, dark, rainy, and generally kind of miserable. A day to foreshadow what will inevitably be the weather for the rest of the month. But because we’ve only had cold-and-incredibly-sunny lately, and it’s only the first of february so I haven’t had time to get tired of it yet, this weather seems like a nice change of pace. Aside from running down the street to get some half-and-half this morning, I’ve been contentedly seated at the dining room table (office doubles as a guest room, and we’ve had a house guest for nearly two weeks), working on my chapter and knitting.

For once, I have a parade of FOs to show, some new and some old. But due to light issues, camera troubles, and a general lack of will power and organization on my part, you’ll have to wait to see most of them. Today, I give you this:

Pattern: Garter Stitch Mitts, from the lovely and talented Ysolda Teague

Yarn: Dream in Color Classy, in “Happy Forest” leftover from Bainbridge

Needles: my lovely Lantern Moon Rosewoods, in US 8

Thoughts: This was pure, quick, pleasure knitting for me. They make a nicely fitted fingerless mitt, and I’m loving garter stitch right now, for some reason. I effed up on the second mitt because I was watching Mansfield Park on Youtube while knitting, but didn’t notice until I was halfway through the senselessly-tedious kitchner seam and decided I didn’t care enough to rip back. As a result, what was supposed to be a gift now belongs to me (YAY!). I justify it by saying that I needed new mitts, since I left my old ones at a club by accident (shedding a tear for my lovely Fetchings, now in the hands of some indie rocker).

Also find it funny that Pam and I seemed to knit the same project at the same time — A Bainbridge with accompanying mitts. I love her tab/slot and button idea. Might have to make myself one now…

I’ve been trying to keep up with things these days.  In what is seeming already to be a 2008 of looming deadlines, the necessity of extreme organization, and (let’s face it) repeated moments of “I can’t do this,” “I hate this,” and “how in the world am I going to accomplish this?,” I find that blogging and crafting have been really wonderful outlets.
I’m on top of my bloglines, because reading about all of the wonderful things you all are making (and seeing your beautiful photographs) recharges my creative battery (even if I have to direct this creativity toward what feel like non-creative things).  I *finally* sat down and figured out gauge on my long-neglected Tangled Yoke Cardigan (have I even blogged about this yet?) and find the soothing stockinette the perfect compliment to tangled theoretical constructs and confusing chapter organization.  I’m flying through it during breaks in the mess of work I’m tackling.

But, let’s face it.  I’m not as on top of things as I should be.  I missed by blogiversary.  I didn’t even have the date right (it was the 24th.  I was convinced it was the 25th).  And last week, Melissa awarded me the “you make my day” award.  It’s taken me this long to respond, but I can assure you it totally completely made my afternoon (and that was a particularly bad afternoon).  So, I only hope this can pass the buck, so to speak, with the joy.  Or at least brighten someone’s monday.

Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times.

It was hard to pick only ten blogs.  We’ve all said this, and it’s true.  There are so many blogs I read for so many different reasons: some for inspiration, some for their incredibly funny and witty prose, some for their general information, some because they just make me feel good to peruse.  But I managed to narrow it down to ten of the blogs I jump to first in my bloglines, the ones that make me feel re-inspired and creative and able to face the gloom of my library ceiling and yet another afternoon spent staring at a blank computer screen.  I am too brain dead to write a little paragraph about everyone (sorry! I’m so lame), but rest assurred that all of these blogs include beautiful photography, witty prose, and an enlightened and inspiring approach toward the knit-stuff.

1. Pepperknit

2. The Knitting Phillistine

3. Flintknits

4. Dogged.

5. Specs knits

6. SouleMama

7. A Friend to Knit With

8. Slippedstitch

9. Neither Hip Nor Funky

10. A Cold Bright Day in April 

Thanks to all of you (listed and unlisted) for making my day a little brighter every day!

Version 1.0

Something warm for winter…

Look for an improved version coming soon to a blog near you.

I’m plugging along on my goal to finish all UFOs.  Here are two — the first knits of the new year.

FO #1: Bainbridge Scarf

Pattern: Bainbridge Scarf, by the ever-talented Minty

Yarn: Dream in Color, Classy in “Happy Forest” (what a great name!)

Needles: US 7, 4.5 mm circular

Thoughts: Easy, fun pattern — good for knitting while doing other things (like watch Planet Earth.  Seriously!  Have you guys watched any of these episdoes?  They are mind boggling.  But be sure the rent the BBC version — not the one with Sigourney Weaver.  It’s definitely worth it).  I have a few issues with the ties on the scarf.  I had to move one of the ties so that the scarf wouldn’t bunch when tied.  They stretchiness of the knit also makes for a looser closure than I might like on colder days.  If I were to do it again (and I have a feeling I will), I would knit one long tie, which I secure centrally on the scarf.  Then the tie will wrap around the whole scarf to tie it closed, thus eliminating awkward pulling or loose folds.  That aside, it is a lovely, lovely pattern and I highly recommend it.  This one will be gifted.

As for the yarn — I was a little disappointed at first.  The color is incredible — lots of depth, beautiful shading, etc.  But it felt really harsh to me, which is my usual beef with superwash yarns.  But with knitting, it softened right up.  It’s a great yarn — a little pricey, but worth it.  I also want to mention Woolgirl.com, which is where I purchased this skein.  If you haven’t discovered this site yet, beware!  They have a wonderful collection of yarn over there and are extremely, extremely nice (and helpful!).  And their packages come wrapped beautifully with little knitterly treats.  Who could ask for anything more?

FO #2 : iPhone Cozy

Pattern:My own (borrowed and modified the stitch from Schrodinger’s Twisted Tweeds)

Yarn: Koigu KPPM, Semi-Solid in Black

Needles: US 0 dpns

Thoughts: None.  Easy Peasy.  I can write up a pattern if anyone really wants one [By the way, it looks so much better with an iPhone actually in it.  Unfortunately, I don’t own one.  This is also a gift.  But maybe better pictures soon…]

I’ve been thinking a lot about tradition lately (yep, this is the point when my dissertation and the knitting start to bleed together) — what makes something a tradition, the ways in which we practice traditional arts, and why we continue them when there are other (newer?) things we could be doing. Part of my academic queries into the notion of tradition include deep thought on the topic of transmission. When I learned to knit, I learned from my mom. My mother learned to knit from her mother who, presumably (although I never knew her to ask her), learned from her mother, and so on and so on. As I have perhaps mentioned before, my grandmother was Ukrainian, and so when she learned to knit, and then taught my mother (who then taught me), she learned to knit continental. Since I was ten or so, I have been a continental knitter (a picker, I now understand). When I pick up needles and fiber, I instinctively wrap the yarn over my left index finger. I naturally dip the needle to wrap it with yarn, before pulling the loop through. I know no other way to knit. So when I started doing colorwork a year (or more) ago, I found the decrease in speed that came with throwing one color with my right hand incredibly frustrating.

A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with my friend Rebecca about knitting. Rebecca knits “American” (or “British” or whatever you want to call it when you hold the yarn in your right hand). But what immediately interested me was her technique — Rebecca is not a thrower, at least not in the sense that I have understand the term. She holds her yarn in her right hand exactly the same way I hold mine in the left. In one fluid motion, she wraps the yarn around the needle and continues on. No need to drop the strand of yarn, just to pick it up a minute later; no large, unnecessary hand motions that waste time. I was fascinated. And so, this weekend, we finally found time to sit down for a lesson. Today, I am the proud creator of this:

My first English knit swatch.

Yeah, ok. It’s not the greatest. The tension (especially at the begining and ending of each row) is wack-a-doo. And it took me forever (trying to knit right handed is like trying to turn your brain inside out). But I did it. And I’m getting better. I’m not the first to try switching hands (or styles, as the case may be) after accomplishing decent knitting one way. In fact, there seem to be a rash of people doing it these days. I know that I will never switch over entirely; but I’m glad that I know how to do it now. Two handed color-work, you will no longer kick my ass(k).

Now I just have to learn how to purl…