Gromit Knits!

Il(De)lusions

Despite overwhelming evidence it's hard to give up on the idea that my daughters are little girls.  The younger one is turning 13 in the next few days and has already launched into teenage life at warp speed -- clothes, makeup, boys, gossip -- all the signs point to an adolescent on the loose. She's even grown taller than me, not a lot, but still, I have to concede, she's taller.

Being intellectually alert, you would think I could analogize the length of time it takes to knit for her to knitting for myself.  I might save a smidgen of time and yarn because, while she is definitely (though only marginally) taller, she is quite a bit slimmer.  Of course not.  This is my child, my little one, and she should have a new sweater for her birthday.  I hadn't considered the idea until about ten days before the event when I came upon some lovely organic cotton at my LYS.  As the germ of the desire to knit for her big day took root, I managed to convince myself that I could knit her a tunic length, long sleeved hoodie in DK weight cotton in exactly ten days.

The internal rationalization went something like this:  "I'm not a fast knitter, but I knit a lot and I won't work on any of the other projects I've got going, all 20 of them.  I'll manage around work deadlines, the construction on the house, and end-of-year events at school.  It's not really that busy. It'll be tough, but I can do it."

I consulted with the other knitters at hand and they confirmed that it could be done.  Okay, so one of them was the LYS owner, but I think she's honest.  She's a knitter, she knows that the impossible is possible when an obsessed knitter is on the case.  She's done it herself, quite recently.

The back is done and there are only about 30 rows until I begin the neck shaping on the front.

I've got two and a half days.

It won't be a problem. 

No Fooling

I would have posted these goals for the month on the 1st, but you all would have assumed it was a joke.  It's no joke, but I may turn out to be a fool for publishing this list!

During April I will:

• Post at least once a week -- even if I have no pictures.  It's the need to put pictures in that often keeps me from posting.  I've always got something to say, but I despise taking pictures and going through all the maneuvers to get them into the computer, exported as a .jpg file and then posted here.  Now add to the mix that I am often exporting them to Flickr to post on Ravelry.  It's a lot of work people and not my strong suit.
  
• Finish my Asymmetrical Cable Cardigan from Vogue Knitting Fall 2006.  I'm almost there; finishing the second half of the cabled scarf collar and two more seams are all that remain.  Even so, the chances that I'll be wearing it this year are slim to none.  Of course, it would be perfect for this morning, but it wasn't to be.
  
  
  
  
• Finish my second Noro Kureyon sock.  It's color #182, and everything you've heard about the yarn is true -- stringy, overspun, not soft, hell to knit with -- yet I love the way this sock feels on my foot.  It has a comforting woolliness  that  I find soothing, the rustic nature suits plain socks, and the colors are the star.  I figure it's not a long-wearing sock, but I have room for every type in my drawer.
  
  
  
  
• Finish my poor, abandoned Trekking sock (and it's mate) that's been stalled at the same point for two years.
  
  
  
• Finish my Large Rectangle with Center Diamond Pattern from Victorian Lace Today (isn't that a pithy name for a stole?).  I have finished about half the edging and will make myself deal with the total fiddle that is required to complete the thing.
  
  
  
• For extra credit I will finish the back and both fronts of my cabled hoodie from the cover of Patons Street Smart booklet.  Mine is in Blue Sky Cotton and will be of use even into the later part of spring.

Rona my dear, I'm afraid you'll have to wait.

Disclaimer:  The above post contains forward looking statements that should not be considered a guarantee of future performance.

Alphabet Soup

A is for Absurdistan which makes me laugh:

It's also for adultery, of the knitting variety that is.   I've had a fling with some "B is for Bulky yarn".  Instead of Rona we have Skeppsta:

Specs --

Pattern:  Skeppsta by Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton, size small, though it's still oversize.  I'll get one of the kids to take a photo of me in it once it's dry.

Yarn:  Noro Transitions, Color #5,  540 grams, though I used parts of seven hanks in an attempt to balance the colors somewhat.

Fine Tuning: None, except to shorten the sleeves.  A fun pattern, but you have to read between the lines a bit as it makes assumptions about your knowledge of short rowing.  I'm dreaming up a DK weight version for my guy as he liked the pattern so much, but in that case I'll do it with a crew neck and a shaped sleeve cap, or at least a modified dropped shoulder, to better suit him.

C is for Completed.  Yeehaw!

C is also for cat.

D is for Dog...

The black cat isn't all that intimidated, but the orange guy is so convinced that Dog will make a meal of him that he is in hiding and isn't even eating much.  His poor little pea brain can't figure out that the big Dog (who is only here until tomorrow) is about the gentlest creature to ever have inhabited the earth and only wants to play.  Dog even waits while the cats have there turn at his kibbles.  Who'd have thought?

I think that brings me up to date on the ABC Along, phew!

Epistolary Knits

Everyday I scroll past my TypePad bookmark on route to blog reading, or playing on Ravelry.  Each time I see the link I think, "oh, must get to blogging".  But I never visit the site.  Instead I tell myself: "I'll do it later this afternoon, tonight, first thing tomorrow, soon."  The holidays being what they are -- lots of people home, lots of food to buy and cook, presents to wrap and find space for once they are opened -- soon hasn't come until now.  Frankly, blog reading and fantasy knitting on Ravelry are much easier distractions when you're working with ten minute increments.

Don't worry though, this isn't going to be a blog post about not posting.  Seriously, we're all past that these days.  No, this is actually a knitting content filled post that I haven't gotten to before now because I have been weighing my options for starting back.  Do I do a retrospective of 2007?  Do I focus on my knitting and life goals and resolutions for 2008?  Since either of these options are comprehensive and require thought, they filled me with performance anxiety. Yet, with these two major themes foremost in my mind, I couldn't bring myself to do something as prosaic as a plain old WIP update.

Then I got a note from one of my projects.  I know this sounds strange.   Yarn is not known for its literary or computer skills, but then, the other day I found this in my Ravelry inbox:

    "message from Rona"

        What are you doing queuing things on Ravelry when you should be knitting me?

        Love,

        Rona

I was caught red-handed, at my day-dreaming, unfocused worst, by one of my own beloved stash knits no less.  What to do?

Should I swear up and down that I've been knitting her, but she just hasn't noticed how much longer she's gotten lately?  I could try it, after all, I have knit her some during December.  But once she looked at herself she'd see that the growth, while visible, is not going to lead to her being finished within the next couple of days.

Here's the proof.  Click here to see how far along I was in August, while below is progress as of today.  Truthfully, much of that has come since I received the missive reprinted above.  Never let it be said that guilt is not a great motivator.

I could proffer the excuse that I had to finish a deadline knit for gifting yesterday, and beg for forgiveness.  Given the level of frustration that she must feel, I'm not sure she'll buy that.  You should know, however, that there was a baby blanket that I had promised would be done by January 2nd that was simple, but larger than the usual baby fare as it was felted to the correct size.

I realize it's hard to see the difference in the two photos at this scale, but trust me, it shrank a lot and grew a lot softer.  Plus, I couldn't get rid of the ruffling around the edges before I had to send it to its new owner.

It was a blast to knit four row stripes of two different colors of Kureyon (#199 and #209, four balls each).  The colors shifted and striped in unpredictable ways and the growing length provided much needed additional warmth.  I am disappointed with the post-felting result, only because different portions of the blanket felted differently and it was impossible to block it to a rectangle.  On the other hand, it turned out exquisitely soft and the colors melded even more, creating a striking bit of comfort for a new arrival.  I wish I had one for myself.

Now it's time to go knit some more on Rona.  Her last note was gentle, even loving, in its prodding, but I do not want to risk making her irate.  You never know what a good knit will do when angry.  With Rona's literary skills, I'm being haunted by the prospect of ads for "The Abandoned Knits Revolutionary Manifesto" appearing on Ravelry.  I'm sure she could drum up support from some of my other long abandoned WIPs.

'Tis the Season

By my reckoning, I haven't been knitting much this past week.  I realize my concept of "not much knitting" is vastly different than that of the general public, but finishing one Lizard Ridge square, two rounds on Rona and maybe twenty rows on a Noro baby blanket for a colleague of Martin's doesn't count for much in my book and definitely will not be good enough to make my Rona target.

What, you didn't know I was working on Lizard Ridge?  Yes, now that I think about it I haven't actually talked about it here.  I started it while in blog limbo last Spring and have toiled away at it periodically as my mood strikes.  As the weather has gotten cooler and then temperature in the house is more consistently in the lower 60s, I'm feeling the urge a lot more strongly.

At one juncture I contemplated  a queen sized version, but as I am only on square #23, I have wisely abandoned this grandiose concept.  Now I've scaled back to a much more manageable 5x6 arrangement which will more than suffice to cover one or two of the smaller family members while watching a movie or keep me warm at the computer.  I will either make a second version, or lots (trust me -- lots) of accessories with the leftover Kuryeon.

This is not a great shot of the work in progress, but as there is only gray November light available, I'm not sure any additional attempts will be any more illuminating, beyond showing the few squares completed since this picture was snapped.  Besides, you've seen it before.

I'm also puttering along on a Moderne Log Cabin from Mason Dixon Knitting blanket in Classic Elite Mistral and Misti Silk and Cotton that I boldly cast on in the Summer of 2006.  This is also a WIP I don't think I've ever documented here, but I always knew I had time before it was going to be anywhere near finished.

I'm laying bets that LR gets done soon while the Log Cabin is with me for the long haul -- I can even work on it while watching a sub-titled movie.  It'll be good to make it last.

And Rona?  Rona will get some attention tonight after dinner is made, the girls finish their homework and peace reigns in the land...

One Small Step for Knitter Kind

I didn't manage to stick with NaBloPoMo.  Nor did I write 50k words for NaNoWriMo.  Is this failure?

Maybe, but I refuse to see it that way.  I know that during the month of November I met my personal best for posting (10) and I wrote more words of fiction than in any other month after High School.  Signs of victory and hope for next year -- or for sticking to my guns and simply doing more in December.

There is one victory to report which helps me to have faith that I can keep climbing up from my current position:  a new sweater.  I finished Banff within the month of November, thereby completing the one challenge I didn't participate in:  NaKniSweMo!

It's enormous, it's bulky, it's not fashionable and it's exactly what I wanted.  I had a hard time getting it off my body to block it, and probably only did because I got some tomato on it while cooking the other night.  Before blocking I tried the classic bathroom mirror shot with abysmal results (go check Ravelry if you don't believe me).  Today I tried playing with my camera's self-timer (not a core skill) and here's what came out:

Better -- not great, but better.

I also finished my mitts, so my hands can stay warm while I type -- good thing too, the wind is  rambunctious today here in southeastern PA.

Now that's it's December, I am planning on following through on my threat to complete Rona this month.  Marina, are you ready to lead the Fair Isle pep squad?

Warm Hands

The cold snap is coming and with our house at 62F during the day, I think I'd better finish these up so I can keep typing:

It shouldn't be long now, but I expect it will be spring before I do the embroidery that Kristin included in the original pattern.

Tomorrow I'll be getting around to the promised expose of my unblogged knitting -- there's a lot of it -- today was just too icky to take all those pictures.

WIP Wednesday

Even with all my reading, I've been making some progress on my WIPs, at least the one's I've been upfront about.

Banff is on sleeve island where I'm enjoying little umbrella drinks no end.  I'm thinking this will be ready to wear at Thanksgiving, though a bit on the informal side even for my casual living family.  Heck, who cares, I'll wear it anyway.

I'd also show you an updated picture of my KSH Victorian Lace Rectangle, but it's in time out.  I was ready to execute the first corner of the border and made a nearly fatal mistake -- I carried it around with me.  Since the border knitting is on DPNs, it was to be expected that they would slide out and I would lose my stitches.  Since I'm knitting this in Kidsilk Night frogging it to get everything back in shape is a nightmare.  I'd say it's even more of a nightmare given the little bit of lurex that is used to create the sparkle.  I'm hopeful that a dedicated hour tomorrow will put things back on track...

If you're keeping track, no I didn't finish it in time for E to wear to a bar mitzvah -- she was philosophical about the situation and a substitute was procured to insure she violated now religious prescriptions or social boundaries.

As to expectations on due dates, just pretend there's the same amount of certainty attached to this project as there is to furniture delivery dates.

Reading -- It's the New Knitting

I've often asked my mother if she would like to travel -- to London, Paris, Rome -- since she's rarely been out of the country.  I've always assumed she must want to see the sights she's read so much about since she was a little girl, but she's been adamant that she'd rather not.  I still have hopes of dragging her at least to London and other parts of England, but as I've begun my own migration from a lifetime of devouring books, reading them for plot and excitement and escape, towards a more conscious reception of the relationships between literature and life, it's clear that she doesn't need to move far afield to live a life rich in understanding and experience, her love of books has given her that and more.  It's been there in front of my eyes for the past forty years and more, I've just been in too much of a hurry to notice.

It's disconcerting to admit that it's only in my fifth decade that I've started to read descriptions, savor sentences, perceive referential quotes and begin to see, understand, and even relish the use of symbols as added sources of power and meaning.  Sadly, it is only now that I can abstract and use fiction as a way to think about life, morality, and love -- beyond the sheer momentum of the narrative at hand.  It is humbling to discover that others were far quicker to make these leaps, but gratifying that they are willing to share their insights and wisdom with us laggards.

For the past several days I've been quickly moving through, with a clear intention of returning for a more leisurely reading, the first of several books, purchased during my most recent Amazon.com rampage, by Michael Dirda, a staff writer for The Washington Post Book World.  Here is someone who has taken his lifelong love of books as a starting point for how to live and how to act in realms that transcend text, all while maintaining a wicked sense of humor.  He has read the books I have and has insights that confirm and build upon my own thoughts.  What is more fun is that he has read many things that I have not and discusses them, using frequent and apt quotations that make we want to drop everything and spend my days catching up.

It the great joys of reading books about books -- the interests and enthusiasm of other avid readers broaden my horizons and make me crave more:  more time to read, more time to explore, more of the world outside of my own limited existence.

If you haven't already, go look for the compendiums by Nancy Pearl (Book Lust, More Book Lust, Book Crush) for a guide to reading that will take you beyond the tried and true stalwarts of the bestseller lists and popular paperbacks. I also recommend Jane Smiley's 13 Ways of Looking at the Novel, with it's wealth of hints on how to write and her perspective on one hundred novels from the earliest explorations of the form to recent award winners. 

Then there's my current favorite, Francine Prose's Reading Like a Writer, a book that makes you excited about trying to create a perfect sentence, a profound paragraph, a great character.  It's because she quoted the opening paragraph of Dicken's Dombey and Sons that I am curling up on the couch, when I'm not writing or knitting, and luxuriating in a world of strange and humorous characters, fabulous plot turns and perceptive social criticism.  Dickens is perfect for late fall reading, after all who else could write:

"Dombey sat in the corner of the darkened room in the great arm-chair by the beside, and Son lay tucked up warm in a little basket bedstead, carefully disposed on a low settee immediately in front of the fire and close to it, as if his constitution were analogous to that of a muffin, and it was essential to toast him brown while he was very new."

A book that begins by comparing a baby to a muffin demands to be read.

And Mom, we are going to London, even if I have to kidnap you to do it.  There are some things that cry out to be seen, even if you've already visited in your mind's eye.

Just Another Day*

I'm figuring if I leave this posting window open and fill it with random thoughts as they strike me it will provide an interesting perspective on my day.   

Just so you know, I have a daily list of things to do, and this month that list includes blogging.  The days I haven't blogged were days I neglected to make a list.  Oh well, water under the bridge.

It's not that I actually get around to all the items on the list each day (laundry appears almost everyday in one form or another), but they create an order and structure that make it more likely that I will focus on something -- whether it's a should or want "to do".  As I've mentioned before, I also have knitting lists.  I treat these even more loosely than my daily "to do" agenda, but they do help.  My favorite of these is my Ravelry queue which creates in me the same sense of anticipation that building my Christmas/Hannukah/Birthday lists did when I was a child.  That queue, complete with pictures, is as good as a Sears Wish Book for providing an all enveloping sense of the possibilities of the future -- before I've ever cast on, I can gaze at what I hope will be mine, in multiple versions.

Maybe I should make a list of things I should blog about this month -- there's a running commentary in my head about knitting, reading, writing, social activism, political philosophy, ethics, the meaning of life etc. that would certainly be interesting to write, even if they are not the topics of mainstream knitblogging.  My only constraint is that I must respect the privacy of my family, and therefore I have promised them that this blog will not turn into "The Truman Show."  To this end I will not discuss our perpetual renovations or anything personal that might be of prurient interest.  Too bad really, it's so much easier to write about salacious and trivial activities than topics of deeper import.

Maybe what I need is a list of this week's blog posts to keep me focused?  I can manage that, right?

Okay, here's what's coming up:

• Tuesday -- What am I reading and why?
• Wednesday -- WIP Update (I think this is traditional in Knitblog land, but I'm not sure if it's supposed to be on Wednesday)
• Thursday -- "WIPs Exposed" -- I have projects I have never discussed in my blog life and on Thursday I will confess all.  This is as close as it gets to a gossip column around here.
• Friday -- What did I write this week?
• Saturday -- The Philosophy of Love -- Hey, it's my blog.   I might throw in a shot of Saturday sky for Sandy, just because.
• Sunday -- "My So-Called Political Life" -- real politics, a real candidate and did I really ask my friends to make a contribution?

I will not remember this list tomorrow and will be influencing my own blog statistics by consulting it as I prepare tomorrows ramblings.

"This post contains forward looking statements that should not be construed as an implied contract or promise of future performance.  All upcoming posting is dependent on the idiosyncratic desires of the blogger who retains all right to do something completely different if the urge strikes her.