Siamese Sleeves

Today I was reading my back digests of KBTH and read with interest Lucy Neatby's method for knitting two fair isle sleeves in the round using steeks. Quite an ingenious method I must say. Anne
shows how she did it with her lovely fair isle.Perhaps I'll give it whirl whenever I get back to the unfinished Rona.I'm sure Carol M would like to see it finished!

Lucy Neatby - Tradewind Knitwear Designs - Steeks

Technorati Tags: Fair Isle

Hoping to Beat the Coming Rain......

We made it! There is nothing like picking a June bounty of strawberries on a Sunday morning. My DM and I headed out for the Strawberry fields to eat our fill and fill our basket with those red jewels of summer.

"Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about.
Strawberry Fields forever.

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.
It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out.
It doesn't matter much to me.

Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about.
Strawberry Fields forever.

No one I think is in my tree, I mean it must be high or low.
That is you can't you know tune in but it's all right.
That is I think it's not too bad.

Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about.
Strawberry Fields forever.

Always no sometimes think it's me, but you know I know when it's a dream.
I think I know I mean "Yes," but it's all wrong.
That is I think I disagree.

Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about.
Strawberry Fields forever.
Strawberry Fields forever.
Strawberry Fields forever."
The Beatles

Blogger's Overload

I know sometimes I don't post as often as I would like but there is a good reason. Aside from being busy with work or other responsibilities sometimes I'm plain in overload mode (hey... that rhymes).I have too much to blog about.....Lol.................here's a sampling of what I could write about :

1. I attended our RI Spinning Guild meeting last Saturday and learned more about tapestry weaving from Janet Austin, a local weaver whose enthusiastic presentation of tapestry weaving made me more willing to bring out my school loom or make a loom for that matter. Thanks, Sharon for making this happen!

2. At the same meeting I received a free CVM fleece from our board members who through the last heatwave skirted, bagged and lugged these fleeces for us. Yes...............I added this fleece to many others for processing. Thanks, Beth,Marva and Debbie!

3. I'm still making headway with a new sock pattern soon to be released through yarn4socks sock club offer in August. The test knitting phase has begun thanks to Sarah.

4.I'm working on Emma's Unmentionables, a sweet petticoat-like pair of pants for a toddler. I bought some Valley Yarns Longmeadow, a 60% cotton/40% microfiber yarn in a dark red. Love this cotton yarn......................

5. I've been spinning a medium blue lambswool on my new Ledbetter spindle that I purchased from Judy last weekend. This spindle spins like a dream....I know I'm preaching to the choir. But if you are uninitiated you must give this spindle a whorl (npi); I haven't felt this way about a spindle since purchasing my Forester Safari. I've procrastinated long enough......back to work!

The Iris is the Giraffe of Flowers

Notice her height and her wonderful veined patterns! She's a delight!

It's Too Hot! I'm seeing red!

Yeah........this weather is too extreme. It interferes with my wool work as you can guess. Not that I stopped completely. I've been working on a new sock design soon to be released as a kit that contains ball and skein's sock yarn. The kit is part of a sock club offering at yarn4socks in August. I'm working on the lovely red sock model as I write. At least sock knitting can be done in the heat.

I've also started spinning some red fiber that Debbie R rustled up for me from Copperpot Woolies. I began spinning while watching the Red Sox .......keeps with the red theme heh :)
The fiber is luscious and it's eye candy unspun or spun.

On the cooler side check out my blooming orchid..........

Cardinal Song and More

This little fellow made my morning by penetrating the grayness with his sweet songs.
The spring garden delights me with an Iris and some baby's breath.
This is the end of three pounds of Border Leicester fiber that I purchased from RI Handspun a couple of weeks ago. I'm happy with the spinning.

DD wants to make a cabled jacket with it. Thanks,Sue,for selling me this wonderful chocolate fiber, which she purchased from Barbara T at Seldom Seen Farm.

Memed

Sharon recently tagged me for a meme:

The rules: Posted here at the beginning. The player answers all questions. The player then chooses six people you want to know more about and tags those people by listing their names at the end of the post and going to their blog and leaving a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Also, you let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

Ten years ago I was teaching English full time and training teachers how to use technology to enhance classroom instruction. It was a special year....DH,DD and I traveled to San Francisco for a week and enjoyed the trip so much. It was a rather exciting trip since I felt my first earthquake on the 21st floor of our hotel. A dear friend who lives in SF called me to assure me that the quake was just an SF hello. I did not agree; I'd rather deal with hurricanes for sure.

2. What were five things on my to-do list today (not in any particular order)?

The first item was finishing a training manual on How to Create a Web Site for the Classroom. I then went on to enjoy a bit of gardening; I planted some begonias, lobelia, rust colored hen and chicks and more. I'm working on a secret sock and spinning some chocolate Border Leicester fiber for DD that I bought at RI Handspun.
3. What snacks do I enjoy?

My all time favorite snack is very dark chocolate (85%). I also love almonds and ranch flavored peanuts.

4. Where are some places I've lived?

Can't thrill anyone in this department. I've always lived in Little Rhody.

5. What things would I do if I were a billionaire?

I would like to fund the Greg Mortenson's quest to build schools in the wildest parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan to fight terrorism one school at a time.

Then I would like to develop a think tank of individuals whose sole purpose would be to find ways to renew the world's resources as listed on the Seven Revolutions site and then share them globally.

Finally,I would like to pay off the usual bills that accumulate over a lifetime.

I'm tagging Judy, Laurie, Kathy, Jenny,Sarah, and Carol.
I'm curious about their answers....................

Commencement 2008

It never fails to impress me that time flies! I haven't posted in a month. I can tell you it's been a tad busy what with work and this and that. DD trod the boards as they say................although she received her doctoral degree in chemistry last August, we all had to wait until last weekend to see her clad in her doctoral robes and celebrate this very special occasion. Here's the moment:

Here's DD and her grandmother. We are all so very proud of her.

I'm such a cowl!

Yes.........you heard right I 'm such a cowl!!! Lol.........I can't get enough of them. Perhaps it's the age; you know cowl's hide a multitude of sins. They are so versatile.....a cover for the ears, the neck, jewelry really..................and such a small doable project when you are in the midst of three lace projects. I found the project on Ravelry....the Beech Wood. Check it out!

This cowl feels so soft as it is made out of my handspun cormo and alpaca bought years ago at Rhinebeck.

Spinning Along

It's a great feeling when you spin up some yarn that's been languishing in your stash. The purple 2 ply rambouillet and silk was a purchase at Rhinebeck several years ago. It's quite garish so I'll have to decide if it needs a a dip in the dye pot. The Navajo plyed merino is a delight I must say. I have at least another skein's worth to spin.

I started spinning the merino this weekend and finished it while watching the Red Socks last night. I didn't get to bed until after twelve. I went from knitting to wheel spinning to spindle spinning for four hours.

This morning I couldn't resist taking a picture of my favorites Hen and Chicks from the garden. Well................off to exercise. I've been procrastinating long enough :).

Stork's Nest

This Estonian lace pattern by Nancy Bush from Piecework seems right for spring knitting. It's a lightweight scarf made with Plymouth's Alpaca and Silk that I purchased from Sue at RI Handspun a couple of weeks ago. The color is a very muted purple; the picture is not an accurate portrayal of the color.

I now have three lace projects on the needles....MS3, a feather and fan shawl from and older Piecework Magazine and The Stork.

On another front........I had a short piece of knitting related writing published at Yarn Market E-Update. Be sure to scroll down to The View from the Blogosphere.

Sargasso Sea Sock Kit and More

"In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where two powerful currents come together like partners joining hands to dance and whirl round and around, there is a place shrouded in mystery. It is a sea within a sea. This place of calm, clear water and floating seaweed islands has been said to becalm ships forever and to harbor mermaids. It is the Sargasso Sea." My friend,Judy of Ball and Skein aptly describes the Sargasso Sea which is the theme of our sock kit.

After much revision and test knitting by Sarah, the Sargasso Sea Sock pattern kit is now available.The kit includes the cutest sea shell stitch marker.

Now I'm free to finish up the wing portion of Swan Lake Stole (MS3) and other WIP's.

I'm happy to report that I've spun up a considerable amount of rambouillet and silk at RI Handspun's Spin In........................

Pulled in all directions.........

What a dreary day today is. TS Eliot in The Waste Land said that April is the cruelest month; I vote that March fills that bill as well.I shouldn't be totally negative what with daylight saving time enacted earlier this year.

My antidote has been finishing the Sargasso Sea pattern and socks. Here you can see the texture of the sock while worn.

This pic shows the sock without the crocheted edging...suitable for a more practical look.

I can now get back to Swan Lake aka MS3. I needed to do some mindless knitting so yesterday afternoon I started a Norwegian beret in cream and dark gray Suri Merino ( alpaca and merino blend) by Plymouth that I bought at RI Handspun. I'm already heading down the home stretch with the decreases. The impetus for knitting this hat is all due to Carol M :). She made two of them. She felted the hat a bit and it looks wonderful.

Chinese Version of Swan Lake

This is an absolutely stunning mix of ballet and acrobatics.

I'm off to work on my Swan Lake Mystery Stole wing in celebration!!

Sargasso Sea Sock I is Finished

I've finished sock one and almost half of the second sock. It makes me think of Neruda's poem:

"Ode to My Socks" by Pablo Neruda (translated by Robert Bly)

Mara Mori brought me
a pair of socks
which she knitted herself
with her sheepherder's hands,
two socks as soft as rabbits.
I slipped my feet into them
as if they were two cases
knitted with threads of twilight and goatskin,
Violent socks,
my feet were two fish made of wool,
two long sharks
sea blue, shot through
by one golden thread,
two immense blackbirds,
two cannons,
my feet were honored in this way
by these heavenly socks.
They were so handsome for the first time
my feet seemed to me unacceptable
like two decrepit firemen,
firemen unworthy of that woven fire,
of those glowing socks.

Nevertheless, I resisted the sharp temptation
to save them somewhere as schoolboys
keep fireflies,
as learned men collect
sacred texts,
I resisted the mad impulse to put them
in a golden cage and each day give them
birdseed and pieces of pink melon.
Like explorers in the jungle
who hand over the very rare green deer
to the spit and eat it with remorse,
I stretched out my feet and pulled on
the magnificent socks and then my shoes.

The moral of my ode is this:
beauty is twice beauty
and what is good is doubly good
when it is a matter of two socks
made of wool in winter.

Sargasso Sea

This bit of winter doldrums sparked my creativity for the last couple of weeks. I began experimenting with some of Judy's sock yarn called Sargasso Sea.The Sargasso Sea gets its name from the sargassum seaweed that lazily floats over its surface. My imagination went to work and this is what I came up with..............

Pi is dry?

Last night I watched La Vie en Rose which is a must see. It depicts the life of French singer Edith Pilaf; make sure you check out the youtube videos of Edith Pilaf singing.

I finished the Pi shawl. Of course......as with all projects knitted with handspun the dreaded "will I have enough yarn to finish the shawl anxiety" plagued me for the last several days.

You know there was not enough yarn to finish the longest edging in the world. I managed to find another skein of handspun mohair wool in a somewhat similar colorway that I substituted. This shawl was born of a need to bring together handspun that produced varied colored skeins due to my neglect to spin it with color in mind. Instead I spun the fiber helter skelter just enjoying the color as it emerged. Due to this spinning approach,I had the dilemma of what to knit with these varied colored skeins. The thought of several small projects did not interest me. Then I thought about the Pi shawl. I've made 3 Pi shawls..two as gifts and one for me in unspun lopi which I dearly love. Here are some before and after blocking pictures of the finished shawl.
Oh yes.........I also finished the fake isle hat for DD in Noro Silk Garden and Patons Classic Merino

Ah..... the Comfort of a Pi Shawl

You know how it can be......you've been toiling away on a "pay attention" lace stole and fair isle sweater. You've finished a few UFO's and you just have to start another project. The dilemma begins as always....what will I knit or spin next?

I need a relaxing " I can talk and knit" type project. What's more comforting and long winded than an EZ Pi Shawl taken from the Knitter's Almanac? I've made this shawl twice. Once you can see here. So that's what I did last night....started the Pi Shawl using my hand spun Copper Beech yarn from Tintagel...you know Barn 31 at Rhinebeck. This fiber was spun randomly so the colors of each skein are somewhat related but essentially different. That's when I thought this shawl would fill the bill.

I'm working the shawl in concentric rounds or YO's. Brooklyntweed's Pi Shawl/Blanket made me decide I needed to make this shawl. Of course ......I may changed the pattern if I get too bored with YO's. We will have to see. I love circular knitting for the many design opportunities it can afford.



I did want you to see the socks that I hand dyed and finally finished using a 4knit, 1purl around pattern..............
These were long overdue in the UFO department. I used Silkwood handpainted yarn from the UK and Knitty's Crusoe pattern...................
Love this shot of Ruth in profile taken in our sunny hallway........
Here are DH's assortment of Cory cat fish lined up in parking lot fashion. If you 'd like to see DH's African fish check out this link. You can hear him in the background announcing we've got another Electric Yellow African Cichlid baby....so cute!!!

Sunday Visitor

Who says you can't see wildlife in your backyard in the city? Banish that thought immediately. I was privileged to see a ringnecked male pheasant this morning while washing my dishes. Now I know it's not comparable to a raptor in your barn, DD and SIL, and not a bear in Vermont, Judy.
The pictures are a tad blurry, but that's what happens when you use zoom from your house. I went out into my Florida room to get a closer pic but the dang bird knew I was coming and took off to my neighbor's yard. Did I want to go out in the cold with wet hair to chase this bird.......

Time for a walk with DH....................talk to you later about knitting that's moving along.

Public Art and Make My Day Again

A friend sent me a must see video of public art.........Check it out!


Make My Day Award Redux
Thanks to Cathy and Sharon for making my day for the second and third time this week. I must say that there are so many worthwhile knitting and spinning bloggers in blogland. This award gives us an opportunity to tell each other what we all need to hear from time to time. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Someone is reading my blog.

Zebraknits This blogger rivals Brooklyntweed for photography and journal titles.

Cathy is the queen of crochet in every sense. Her creativity with that hook inspires me.

Audioknits is one of the most prolific knitters and readers I know. She continually makes attempts to link the knitting community.

Sharon lives in Reno writes the funniest comments and her dyed wool is heavenly.

Carol writes so thoughtfully about knitting, weaving, painting and her dogs.