She Knits By The Seashore

Saturday shopping

After being confined to the house in the cold weather for what seems like forever, Chris and I met with J & S on Saturday for lunch. S & I visited the local yarn shop, where there were lots of temptations. My one purchase was a pair of Brittany dpns, to make some wristwarmers. I looked for the new Rowan magazine as well -- it has a pink cardigan on the cover that I think I need to make! Unfortunately they did not have any copies available yet. S bought some amazing Rowan Kidsilk Night for a pretty wrap.

It was too cold to ride our bikes, so we compromised with a trip to a local bike shop and then the Borders. There is something about the smell of new books in the bookstore that always excites me. At the same time, I'm overwhelmed at all the books I want to read and things I want to learn! In the past, I've spent hours in front of the decorating and gardening books, but with our moving situation not settled, I've begun to drift over to the photography section. In the visit before last, I discovered a book called Beaches that captures that lovely effect of sunlight at the shore. How I wish I could take photos like that!

Of course we visited the knitting section, and I browsed through the new book Twinkle's Big City Knits by Wenlan Chia. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but none of the patterns really captured my imagination as something I must knit right away. The store did not have any of the new Interweave books like No Sheep For You  (I'm curious to see this, as some wools are causing my arms to itch, for the first time in my life). Have you seen this book? I did get the new book by Carola Dunn, Fall of a Philanderer. I love these 1920s mysteries, though I'm a few behind the current one.

S and J gave me Modern Classics, Louisa Harding's book as a birthday present, along with a wonderful tin of tea (my addiction/luxury). There are so many sweaters in here that I want to knit! Perhaps later this year we'll choose something for the Project Spectrum fall colors. Rowan has a purple tweed yarn that is calling my name, but I do have some other projects I'd like to get to first. It was wonderful to get out of the usual routine and spend time with friends -- it makes spring seem that little bit closer.

Today is my birthday. I took the day off from work, but haven't yet decided what to do. I'd love to spend the day reading or knitting at the beach, but as we had a snowstorm yesterday (it is not officially my birthday unless we have a snow or ice storm!), even lunch at an outdoor cafe is not an option.  I envy you summer birthday people so much! :)

The Path of Progress

It has been one of those "two steps forward, one step back" weeks for knitting projects. There's not a lot of P in the WIPs.

Four to five inches have been added to Mrs. Belli's diamond edging. I've also done several rounds on the pink camisole, but I'm beginning to worry about the knitted fabric. While not exactly puckering, it does not lie flat on the circular needle, but makes vertical "waves" across the body (these will smooth out by hand if laying flat). Please look below the "lower" circular needle and above the hem:

Maybe this is what cotton does when the body is knitted up from the hem? It is Rowan Cotton Glace, which seems on the stiff side to me. Has anyone else knitted with this, and if so, what is your experience with it? Does it block out flat, much like bumpy lace that transforms after wetting and drying? I am so worried this is going to be one of those problem projects that doesn't look right when completed, no matter what you do.

Needing something a lot simpler to work on when tired, I began the first square for the Blanket of Hope. I'm using a stitch pattern from the Knitting Pattern a Day calendar called Garden Rows Rib. While the pattern has a nice texture, it bothers me that the left side of the square looks different (ie wrong) from the right side, even though they are technically correct. Sorry this photo is a bit dark, but if you click to enlarge, you can see the pattern better:

It looks like knit 1, purl 3 all the way across, but I think it should end on another knit 1, just to make a nice frame around the pattern. So, I'm ripping this and re-doing it. Thankfully, it does seem to knit up fast.

In happier news, the donations for our IBD ride for Crohn's and Colitis grew to $500 this week! In addition, Katie of Live2Knits has generously offered a prize of her lovely Vivien lace yarn (100g), to be dyed in the color of the winner's choice. Perfect for those of you joining the Victorian Lace Today KAL!! She sells beautiful, muted colorways that you must go check out right now. I have her Monet yarn which I'm going to use to make a scarf (nothing says spring like the Impressionists), and I am desperately wanting her Grace silk yarn. Thank you Katie! We'll draw the winner's name for the yarn on Memorial Day weekend, along with the winner of our "grand prize" $30 gift certificate to a yarn/bike shop.

If you're like me, when you donate to a charity, you might wonder what the current status is for the research & projects that are being done, and what new advances have been made for treatment or a cure. Put another way, how do I know that the funds I donate are helping? Because Crohn's/colitis/IBD are not well-known or understood by many people, this is a particularly important question. So I'm pleased to tell you that very recently a significant breakthrough was made by a consortium of researchers from universities in the U.S. and Canada. In Fall 2006, Judy Cho, senior author of their report and and an associate professor in the Departments of Medicine and Genetics at Yale University, identified the gene that is linked to Crohn's Disease and colitis. They are now targeting this gene for drugs that might help patients better manage their IBD. So please know that if you decide to make a donation to our charity ride fundraiser, you will be helping with these studies, as well as patient education and assistance, funded by the groups that GYGIG supports. And in addition, you'll have opportunities to win gift certificates and some pretty yarn! Our first prize drawing will be the last weekend in March.

Timmy says a big thank you to all of you who liked his photos in blue. He was feeling bad that Charlie gets all the attention, so he wanted to show you that he could model too! He can't wait for the PS Orange month.

The Blue Photos

Knitting Blues

Seashore Blues

Artist Blues

Literary Blues

Model Disrupting the Photo Shoot Blues

GYGIG Fundraising & Charity Knitting

Almost 1/4 of the way there!

Hi!  Charlie and I wanted to “guest blog” tonight to let you know we just got some GREAT reports!  Charlie went to the vet this morning and he’s doing much better – gained ½ pound (which, when you only weigh 7 ½ pounds, is lot!).  We’re very glad he seems to be back in remission – apparently the bad episode he had a few weeks ago was a flareup of his IBD.  And of course we’re glad he’ll be able to continue his “spokescat” duties!

Our other good news is that we received our first fundraising report from Get Your Guts in Gear and, thanks to your donations, I’m already almost ¼ of the way to my goal -- $440!  I really appreciate your generosity and can’t thank you enough not only for your donations, but your words of encouragement as well.  While I knew IBD is widespread, I didn’t realize how many of you are acquainted with it – either because you suffer with IBD yourself or you know someone who does.  I’m just glad I have an opportunity to raise awareness and funds to find a cure – and you’re a part of this now too!  Whether you donate or mention the fundraiser on your blog (or both!) you’re making an important contribution to this cause.

So THANK YOU very much for supporting us in this ride!  Your participation is making it possible.

Chris & Charlie

PS: if you haven’t donated yet and/or don’t know what this is all about, please click here – thanks!

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Thank you all so much for your generosity and support of our riding (Chris) and crewing (Debby) for the GYGIG ride. Please don't forget, our first drawing for a gift certificate of $21 (210 miles) to the yarn or bike shop of your choice will take place the last weekend in March.

In addition to being Spokescat, Charlie also helps model the charity knitting. This blanket is going off to Holly for Cyrano's Creature Comforts Drive:

Timmy doesn't quite understand the concept of modeling yet:

Have a great weekend everyone!

A Yarn Valentine

Look what came in the mail:

The perfect knitter's Valentine! It's a postcard from Bella Yarns advertising their sale for knitters in the Ocean State.  If you visit, please let me know what treasures you find there.

A Valentine package also came in the mail, from my dear friend H in Australia:

The summer issue of Yarn magazine, and...

Creative Knitting [site has not been updated recently]. There are some really nice patterns in both issues, a knitted choker made from Noro Daria and some lace shawls in Yarn, and a tie-front cardigan pattern and unique sock pattterns in Creative Knitting.  I have not seen these magazines for sale in my local stores, but if you would like a copy, you can order them through Ozeyarns. Creative Knitting reminds me of the U.K. magazine Simply Knitting, but I'm not sure what is comparable to Yarn magazine. Meg, Donna, 2paw, and Sharon, what do you think? Another Australian knitting resource I enjoy is David Reidy, who does his Sticks and String podcast. He has two cats, Tigger and Tiger, and a very soothing voice, perfect to listen to while navigating tricky patterns.

Last eye candy, for the Cycling Knitters group: Bicycling Australia.

A Happy Valentine's Day to everyone, whether the objects of your affections walk on two legs or four (more than that, and I'm not sure I want to know).

Project Spectrum: Blue: Mrs. Belli's edging

Mrs. Belli's lace edging is coming along, slowly but surely. It is now 63" long.  42" more to go!

I started this project at least five years ago. The pattern is from Nancie Wiseman's Lace from the Attic. I wanted to learn to make the beautiful edgings that my great-grandmother used to make for her linens. It will be fun to pick out some new sheets for the lace when it's close to being done.

In addition to poetry celebrating the colors of Project Spectrum, color words can also be very inspirational to the creative process. My favorite words for the color blue are: aquamarine, azure, celestial, and turquoise. Colors of the sea and sky. When you read those words, what do you picture in your mind's eye?

Some other words for blue are beryl, cerulean, cobalt, cornflower, indigo, navy, royal, sapphire, teal, and ultramarine. Many of them are used when shopping for things like eye makeup, art supplies, home decor, and of course, yarn. Something labeled cobalt doesn't usually call out to me, but label an item aquamarine, and I am there. What color words attract your attention?

Here is a short article about the psychology of the color blue. Here is the wiki article that tells you everything you could ever want to know about blue: blue in different languages, blue in the natural world (plants, animals, mountain ranges, rivers), a chart of different blue shades, blues in art (Blue Boy by Gainsboro) and music (Rhapsody in Blue, Kind of Blue), math, science & technology, religion, even television (Blue's Clues). What blues are in your life?

Thank you for your comments on the newsreaders. It seems like most bloggers also use bloglines, but a few suggested Google reader or Newsgator, so I want to check those out. In the meantime, Chris is installing our brand new Wi-Fi. We're calling it a Valentine's Day present, which, ironically, it is. Since he started his new cycling blog, Suitcase of Courage, we've been spending our evenings in separate rooms on the desktop computers. Now we'll be able, with his laptop and a desktop, to spend time together in the same room.

Rebekah of Knick Knack is calling for wool squares of any size to make a "crazy quilt" blanket for Cottage46 Knitter's husband, who will be undergoing treatment for lymphoma soon.  Rebekah's husband is still having treatments for melanoma. This cancer thing has got to stop, and if we knitters have anything to say about it, it will. Until then, our needles are going to be busy. Please click here for details on donating some squares. I have some red wool which will be perfect for this project, and I hope to get started this weekend.

Chris and I are waiting on our first donation report from GYGIG. As soon as we have it, we'll post our progress in the sidebar. We're committed to help those that suffer from Crohn's, colitis, and all forms of IBD. Thank you so much for your support!

All Pink, All of the Time

Project Spectrum's colors for February/March are blue, gray, and white. My Mrs. Belli's lace is blue, and I am occasionally adding more length to what will be the top sheet edging. However, it seems that I am all about the pink knitting lately, which isn't a PS color until April/May. I'm not the only one: Knitting in Pink, Pink Knitting Adventures, Pink Purls, and my comrade-in-sock-apathy Stream of Consciousness all knit pink. In a Blogger search, I found three more pink knitters whom I am going to visit after I get this posted: Bichons in Berry Sauce, Stitches In Pink, and Pink Lemon Twist. Is there any other color in knitting blogland as popular? I wonder what it is about pink?!

I received this in the mail, a prize from The Beekeeper's Granddaughter for voting on her fringe/no fringe scarf issue:

Yarntini in Hope. I love that name: it represents hope for the new year, hope for spring (or autumn, if you are currently baking in the sun of the southern hemisphere), hope for all good things to come, especially those struggling with diseases like cancer. I'm not sure what project I want to make using this yarn, but right now, I enjoy just looking at it! Thank you, Nancy!

Here is a photo of the kitty blanket I'm making for HollYarns' & Cyrano's Creature Comforts drive. I've frogged and re-knit twice until I found a pattern I liked. The yarn, Caron's (left over from my previous kitty project), is amazingly soft for acrylic, and will hopefully wash well.  Holly has just put up some of her amazing hand-dyed yarn as a prize, so go on over and check it out!

Last but not least, the pink camisole. Thank you so much for your suggestions and advice on this. Several people suggested finding a similar pattern that I could use as a model. As it turns out, the pink camisole on the cover of Vintage Knits (a recent Christmas gift), has the same number of stitches for the body (220) and uses the same yarn, Rowan Cotton Glace, that I'm substituting for the Alchemy bamboo.

I'm marking it with a post-it, and have printed out a grid according to my gauge which I found here. As I get closer, I'll chart out the directions onto the blank grid, and adapt the front as needed. I'm not quite 1" from the border, and will begin the waist shaping soon. Rachel's reminder to use a lifeline and rip out as needed was also a brilliant idea; don't ask me why, but I only ever think "lifeline" for lace knitting, and yet, it makes perfect sense to use one here.

Chris, Charlie, and I thank you so much for your supportive comments and emails regarding our GYGIG ride. There are a couple of housekeeping-type things that I do want to pass along to you. First, Judy, our ride director, assures me that the most anyone who donates will ever receive from them is a thank you note. Names, emails, and addresses are never rented/sold or even stored, and you will not be put on a mailing list and bothered for further donations for eternity. Whew! Secondly, GYGIG is a young organization, and run mostly by volunteers, so there will be a bit of a delay in our notification of funds raised. It takes about a week for us to get a report of donations; I think some charities like the MS150 supply real-time updates to riders, but we will not have that available to us. So...as soon as Chris and I receive the weekly reports, we'll put a note under the GYGIG button in the sidebar to update you on our progress. We're excited about our first prize drawing, which will be the last weekend in March.

There has been a lot of frustration in blogland lately with the Blogger upgrading. While my blog is in the Typepad template, I've been frustrated with trying to leave comments on Blogger sites, among other things. Bloglines, too, has been difficult, and I'm considering switching over to a new newsreader. What do you like to use to subscribe to blogs? Is there one service that stands out from the others? Please let me know!

210 Miles. 3 days. Please help us!

It’s me again, Charlie. Thank you so much for your good wishes. I'm feeling much better now.

Regular readers of this blog know that I struggle with weight loss, stomach sickness, and all of the medicines and tests associated with IBD, or inflammatory bowel disease. What you might not know is that my person, Chris, our blog photographer and bike racer [and Debby’s husband – ed.], also has a form of IBD called Crohn’s Disease. It is a painful autoimmune disorder that often results in surgeries, and sometimes even removal, of the intestines. Some patients cannot attend school, hold down a job, or travel very far from their homes. My person has struggled with Crohn’s symptoms since college, was in and out of the hospital in 2003, and had one surgery. At that time, his dream of bike racing seemed impossible. But with new medications, he and I are doing really well! Look at him now!

1st place, Poughkeepsie, NY 7/15/06

Last fall, my persons signed up for a charity bicycle ride called Get Your Guts in Gear. The ride starts in NYC and ends in Saratoga Springs, NY, June 8-10, 2007. It raises money for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and other charities that provide funds for research and treatment for IBD. While these organizations only support humans, whatever they learn benefits veterinary medicine too. Believe it or not, my person and I take the same tests and have the same medicines!! [and the same naps - ed.]

Chris will be riding 210 miles in 3 days along the Hudson River Valley, and Debby will be joining the support crew. She’s even willing to go camping on their anniversary weekend! But to participate, they need our help to raise the rider’s fee of $2000. Since the idea of 3 days in a bicycle basket doesn’t appeal to me, and they didn’t like my suggestion for a spaghetti dinner, I’m volunteering as Spokescat (get it?) and chief fundraising helper.  I’m hoping you will support my persons and me to raise money for the thousands of humans and animals that struggle with intestinal disorders, diseases, and even cancers. We have prizes to make it fun!

Here’s how to help:

1) Click on the GYGIG button, where you will see Chris’ fundraising letter and the link for donation.

2) For every donation, you will receive one ticket into the prize drawing. If you prefer to spread your donation out over the next few months, you’ll receive a ticket for each time you donate.

3) If you post about this on your blog and help us spread the word, you’ll also receive one ticket. Be sure to leave a comment with the link to your page, or email me and let me know.

4) On the last weekends in March and April, Timmy or I will announce the winner of a $21 gift certificate (210 miles), to the yarn shop or bike shop of the winner’s choice. It can be online or a local shop. The winner must respond in 10 days via email or blog comment with how to get in touch with them, or we will choose another winner.

5) On Memorial Day weekend, also our first blogiversary, we’ll give away a $30 gift certificate (3 days) to the yarn shop or bike shop of the winner’s choice. Though we’ll be asking family and co-workers for donations, the prize drawings are reserved for our internet friends and blog readers only. You are special to us!

6) No kitties were harmed in the preparation of this post, but bribes may have been accepted!!

Please send email to adamsdebra AT sbcglobal DOT net if you have any questions or comments. Chris, Debby, and I thank you in advance for your support!

Poetry in Blue

Project Spectrum has just started, and the photos are amazing! It's so inspiring to see how everyone interprets their colors in different media.

For February and March, our colors are blue, gray, and white. Since I love poetry, I'm going to be discovering and sharing new poems with you that celebrate these colors. The first is by Emily Dickinson.

A slash of Blue A slash of Blue— A sweep of Gray— Some scarlet patches on the way, Compose an Evening Sky— A little purple—slipped between— Some Ruby Trousers hurried on— A Wave of Gold— A Bank of Day— This just makes out the Morning Sky. As it is nearly midnight, it's a perfect time to post this, right between Bloggers' Silent Poetry Reading Day (Friday) and Saturday Sky!