A Taste for Lace

Despite my moaning about all the UFOs I have, I've gone and succumbed to 'startitis.' I joined the Mystery Stole 3 KAL. I've done enough lace knitting so that I 'understand' the concept, but I've never embarked on this large a project...but I'm not alone. Judging from the e-mails to the Yahoo group, there are alot of people who are developing a taste for lace, or are hoping to. So far there are over 1800 people signed up. There are actually shortages of Zepher yarn in white being reported, not to mention a run on beads. I don't think anyone anticipated this level of response.





Just to prove I can knit some lace:

this is a scarf I am currently working on. I adapted the Knitty pattern "Convertible" by Rebecca Hatcher. I've done some lacy socks...now I'm beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed at the thought of the shawl.

On the good news side - I won a book from Wiley, the publisher of "Charmed Knits" as part of the Charmed Knits KAL. Since I don't buy lottery tickets, I rarely win anything, actually, even if I do buy lottery tickets, I very rarely win. I was given a list of their craft books to chose from, and choose one on spinning. Winning could be dangerous.

Not All Non-Knitters are Muggles

On May 30 my sister drove with me to Northampton, MA, to see Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, aka the Yarn Harlot. She drove so I could knit in the car. We stood in line chatting with knitters, we had more chat time in the theater, and we laughed and enjoyed outselves immensely during Stephanie's talk. During the Q&A, one woman asked "What were muggles?" Most of the audience responded in surprise. But Stephanie actually answered and told us all that muggles was an old word that Rowling had used in her books and it meant "someone outside a closely affiliated community." Is Stephanie the only one who knew that?



We went to WEBS, and I stood in line to have Stephanie sign my copy of "Cast Off," chatting all the while. The woman behind me pulled out a sweater she was knitting of Noro wool, and I truthfully said, "that was the best pattern I'd seen for Noro." She generously gave me the pattern. I promise I will knit it up.



Still basking in the glow of enjoyment, I was recently talking to my sister about the event, when she told me that as we were leaving the theater, she had made some comment to me about not having much interest in looking a wool, and the woman behind her, with whom she had been talking, said, 'Oh, you're a muggle." Her tone implied distain. My sister felt insulted. By the very fact that she was there, she was NOT a muggle. She may not knit, but she is a strong supporter of knitting. She respects knitters for their creativity and work; she appreciates hand knit items, and encourages her daughter to knit.



Any stereotype is dangerous and can be hurtful, so please consider who you're calling a muggle.

Variety is the Spice of Life, if it doesn't give you heartburn

My knitting progress has been like some just learning to drive a manual shift car...that uneven, jerking forward motion. I'm working on too many projects.

I'm knitting three display items for the Fabric Place (my second, part-time job): a tank top (Classic Elite Cotton & pattern), a beaded ascot (Scarfstyle, Classic Elite Classic Silk), and a yet-to-be-started pair of socks.

As I wait for the computer to boot up or load a new page, I work on my baby afghan for Afghans for Afghans. I'm using KnitPicks Yarn of the Andes - one strand of Amethyst and a second strand of another color (which changes every 3 rows, randomly). I was quite pleased to see that the result was a tweedy sort of blended striping. As I watch tv the Charmed Knits Beanie or the Orphans Foundations red scarf get some attention - I'm almost finished with the beanie.

I did finally pull together the yarn for the bag I will knit for the International Tote Exchange 4, but I'm still waiting for the sock yarn I ordered for the Hogwarts Sock Swap, and haven't made any decisions about my Sockapalooza socks. On one hand, when I'm knitting for someone else, I'd like to turn out something special and memorable, on the other hand, I keep telling myself that I have to choose something that I can finish by the deadline without losing my job, my mind, or my friends.

I'm not really complaining. I'm a process knitter, and enjoy having lots of different projects going. This way I can knit what I feel like knitting, and when I'm ready for a change, there is always something else to do. Since I like all the patterns and yarns, and I do have a streak of "project knitter" in me, I eventually do get stuff finished.

I've started dyeing yarn. I've only done two skeins, but I keep planning how the next colorway is going to go. My crockpot will probably get more use from dyeing than it ever got from cooking! Since I want to blend colors during the day with natural light, my next skein will get done this coming weekend.

From Old to New - Knitting Projects

I finally figured out how to upload pictures, so here is the first batch:

The Norwegian mittens on the left were knitted about four years ago. I have knit this pattern with various colors and weights of wool over the years. My father still has the pair I made for him at least 10 years ago. The pair on the right were finished this past winter, and are from "Basic Knitting" They knit up large, but since I had used Cascade yarn, I gently felted them, which made them smaller and warmer. For additional warmth, I always wear a thin pair of el cheapo stretch gloves inside the mittens. This has gotten me through many a cold New England winter.

I do like colorwork, and started this Baby Norgi sweater from Knitty when I learned that my SIL was pregnant. I also had scheduled a class on two-color knitting and thought that this would be an interesting display to promote the class. When the class was cancelled, I slowed down, but now the baby is here, so I once more have a greater incentive to finish.

I have managed to finish a couple of things for my new niece: a bib from "One Skein" using Classic Elite Bamboo; a "Pi" jacket out of Blue Sky Alpaca Organic Cotton, which was a delight to knit with; and a Vine Lace Baby Hat from "knittingdaily." Since the family is up from Nashville on a visit, I can hand over the finished items, and hope that they will be put to some use.

Mom is getting the Comfort Shawl from "knittingdaily". I found Misti Cotton, a lovely, soft cotton and silk yarn at my LYS, that I thought would make a lovely shawl for a nursing mother. This was my first Farose-styled shawl, and I really liked the shaping and the comfortable way it sits on your shoulders. I've added this pattern to my "Make It for Me" wish list.

Sock Knitters Sub-Culture

After I told a co-worker about the sock knitters' sub-culture, the blogs, the sock swaps, the sense of community, he said, "So you could say they're 'sock-cessful'." This was too good not to share...

Projects on Needles

I sometimes think that I must be an ADD knitter - I have so many differnt things I'm working on!

There's the Ruffles scarf from ScarfStyle in a multi-color mohair blend that lives in a plastic bag hung from one of my drawers at work (for the 45 minutes on hold with the IT help desk).

The Hourglass sock pattern that travels to work with me on the T is a test run for my Hogwarts Sock Swap sock - I use one circular needle (magic loop) to reduce the chance of stabbing someone.

I take my responsibility as an aunt very seriously, so I'm working on the Vine Lace Baby Hat from Knitting Daily for my new niece, along with the bib from One Skein. Mom is getting the Comfort Shawl from Knitting Daily. I used Misti Cotton - a beautiful soft fuscia color in the softest cotton and silk blend (that one, at least, is finished). I'm preping the six different colors of Lara yarn I ordered from Elann for an intarsia sweater for another niece, and my oldest niece (who'll be seven soon) will be getting a pair of socks, among other things.

I just finished a pair of socks for afghans for Afghans. I used Lopi light, since they want warm items. I am de-stashing my KnitPicks Yarn of the Andes and using a double stand (one strand amythest, and the other strand changes color every three rows) for a soft, but warm baby blanket. Then there's the cabled hat for the Yarn Harlot's appearance in Northampton, MA, next Wednesday.

I do knit things for myself, at least I start them. I recycled some purple/blue dk yarn that started as a shawl...and will become the ribbed Tee from Knitty. One half-done glove in blue/green Silky Yarn is safely in a shoebox.

There's more, but guilt prevents me from including it now.

Once I figure out how to post pictures, I will., but I'm hampered because I don't have a camera. I just wanted people to know that I do knit on the rare occasion when the spirit moves me.

Post-It Notes Appreciation

The value of post-it notes to knitters has not been publicly acknowledged. I use them constantly, and even carry little pads of them around with my various knitting projects. Why? you ask...They are perfect for keeping my place on a pattern or on a chart, and I can even mark them up as I keep track of the number of rows I've knitted.

Since I am going through a charted pattern phase as a preliminary to a knitted lace phase, I've found that post-its let me work my way through a chart without constantly losing my place, and they're not displaced if I close the book, fold the pattern, or am interrupted by a cat.