She Knits By The Seashore

Knitting Up Roses

Before I began the SDCs' baby blanket, I finished the Louisa Harding Rose scarf. All it needs are the rose decorations.

These are knit with Kimono Ribbon Pure, a discontinued Lousia Harding yarn. I've made about five of them so far. The pattern calls for twelve of each color, but I'll see how it looks as I go. To finish the flowers, I'll purchase buttons for centers and then sew them on to the scarf, maybe something pearly?

Twist Collective's Spring/Summer edition will be posted on Monday. I can't wait to see what the new designs are! What are you planning to knit for spring and summer?

Knitting and a New Kitty

My birthday was already a month ago. I wanted to write about our long weekend in Cape Cod, the cozy bed and breakfast where we stayed, and the fun gifts I received, but with so many different things happening at once, I don't know where the time went.

One of the gifts Chris gave me is this book:

 

If you want to knit a gift for yourself or someone else, or memorialize a beloved pet, or just love cats, this is a must-have. There is a companion book with knitted dogs too.

I also treated myself to The Principles of Knitting, second edition, by June Hemmons Hiatt. If you've got a copy, I'd love to know what you think of it. I've only flipped through it here and there so far, but it looks like it has a lot of information on techniques I've not tried before. The cast-on and bind-off techniques alone are going to be a great help, as I always seem to pick projects that require something unusual.

The funny thing is, I don't need to knit my own cat...we have two real ones that we love very much, Rosie and Tim, and we (well, mostly Chris) wanted to stick to just two. But sometimes love walks into your life when and where you least expect it.

Two weeks ago, Chris dropped me off at the front door of our large legislative office building (if you open the link to see the photo, the front door is on the opposite side of this view) in downtown Hartford, when out of the little row of bushes pops this tiny tortoiseshell cat. She's on her back legs, pawing at the coat of the woman just in front of me, asking for affection and food, and I am dying. It's rush hour in the middle of a city, and the closest residential area is across five lanes of traffic.

I get down on my knees to see this girl, and the security guard comes outside to check it out, tells me "she's been here for a while." Meanwhile, Chris puts the car in park and comes over to see what's going on. I'm trying to think fast; where could we put this kitty to keep her safe until we finish work? No way am I leaving her outdoors one more minute. Can we get her some food and a litter box nearby? Should I call a local rescue? How fast could they get here? And then my amazing husband just scoops her up and says "I'll take her home" and off he goes with her to drive the hour back to our town, to set her up in the basement until we finish work...I love this man. I truly do.

Two days later, after a vet visit to confirm she isn't contagious with anything that would harm Rosie and Tim, we finally take a deep breath of relief and know that we can keep her nine-month-old self. Meet Alexandra, nicknamed Lexy:

 

She has already taken over our hearts, though her takeover of our home is still in progress, due to her spay surgery recovery and some intestinal problems we are still working on. For long-time readers of this blog, yes, we may have cat #3 with IBD. We seem to have a calling here. I like to think that Charlie and Rainy, up in cat heaven, knew that this little girl needed a sympathetic home, and sent her our way. Knitted cats may be a lot easier to medicate(!), but there is nothing better than the contented purr of a happy kitty who knows she's found a safe and warm forever home at last.

 

Secret Knit Revealed

Shortly before Christmas, I planned a surprise gift for our friends Mr. & Mrs. SDC. SDC junior was due to be born in March, and, being the son of a fellow cyclist, I wanted him to have a special and unique blanket.

I'd discovered a charted bicycle on Ravelry, and heard about knitting graph paper, and found some letters charted on a cross-stitch site...though I'd never really designed a project before, I thought I'd give it a go.

 

This blanket was a challenge in so many ways, with gauge math, and learning duplicate stitch, and realizing that duplicate stitch takes a LOT longer than you think it will. Thankfully, I finished the blanket just before SDC Jr. arrived, and he now has something to keep him warm in his stroller as his dad and mom make the rounds of the spring bike races. All the other baby cyclists will know which team is his favorite!

N.B. The owner of the yarn shop where I purchased the yarn suggested backing the blanket with a piece of pre-washed/pre-shrunk flannel. The design is not reversible, so if you decided to do something like this, I wanted to pass the suggestion along. Since I don't know how to sew, and the duplicate stitch kept the backing pretty neat, I left it as is.

2011: A Look Back

I'm a little behind in posting a review of last year's resolutions, and a look at this year's goals. This list is mostly for my own record-keeping, but I'd love to hear how you did with your 2011 goals and what you're thinking about for 2012! Knitting UFOs? New booklist?  Here we go...

1. Ride my bike 4-5 times a week, to lose some weight and also to increase my average speed so I can join the weekly group rides near my house. I also like to walk, so I'll do some indoor walking DVDs until it's warm enough for me to go outside.

I started a cycling fitness plan, and did well until the third week in when I developed bursitis in my hip. I've been struggling with that on and off most of the year, but the yoga is helping a lot. I do my walking DVDs on and off, and got new ones for Christmas.

2. Try a yoga class. My muscles are tight and I worry about flexibility. I bought this DVD to try too.

I started a class in the spring, took the summer off due to a scheduling conflict, and started back up in October. I love it! It makes me feel terrific, mentally and physically.

3. Finish knitting UFOs: I don't have many, but they have been sitting around for a long time. The beaded seashore scarf, the slippers from Cocoknits, the pink skirt, and the purple sweater are going to get done or else. Wisp, a stole knitted with threadlike yarn, may have to wait for a while.

I finished the beaded seashore scarf, the purple sweater, and the skirt (except for the finishing -- that crochet edge is killing me). I didn't touch the Cocoknits slippers; I'm not sure if I even like them anymore.

4. Knit projects for which I already have pattern, yarn, and needles. At least one of the Noni bags.

I didn't do so well here; the Rose scarf -- almost done but for blocking and finishing -- is the only stash project I knitted. I finished the Summer Flies shawl, but that was from new yarn, not stash yarn.

5. Read books that have been sitting on my shelves for ages.

Twelve books made the list, and of those, I read two, both at the beginning of the year. Perhaps this year I should pick up where I left off?

6. Try to write at least a little, five days a week. Every author's website advises some version of this.

7. Work on my art/drawing at least once a week.

8. Clean out my email inbox.

Not even close on these three.

9. Spend more time with friends. Stay in better contact. Blog more often.

Slowly getting better.

10. Set better boundaries. I try to be helpful and flexible and accommodating with various people in my life, and sometimes I bend too far in their direction, at my own peril.

Had a difficult experience with this early on in the year, which helped me to stay true to this goal afterwards.

One of the most powerful things I've learned this year was about the concept of happiness, in The Happiness Project. I've made so many lists of resolutions, things I should do, and while most are certainly things I want to do, once they're on a list they become the equivalent of eating spinach or taking your vitamins or slogging it out at the gym: they're good for you, but you don't enjoy them very much. They don't bring you happiness when they become a burden.

In that spirit, I'm looking at my goals for 2012 in a new light: not what I "should" do, but what would make me happy? Some of those goals might be the same, but if I look at them in terms of bringing happiness, rather than as an onerous to-do list, I'll be more enthusiastic about them. Who doesn't want to do things that will bring them happiness?

Stay tuned for the next posts, and I'll share what things I believe will help me to find greater happiness in 2012! One of those is an almost finished scarf!

On Persevering

I am really beginning to hate this word.

Fresh with inspiration after finishing my purple tweed sweater, I dug out the blue yarn and pattern directions for Paloma, which was so challenging that two summers ago, I abandoned it to Ravelry's "hibernating" project category. A few weeks ago, I knit the first couple of rows, and got stuck on PRB, a lifted increase. After a few weeks, I found help with that hurdle, and knit some more rows. These rows don't line up. Back to the beginning.

Leaving that aside, I eagerly swatched for the Summer Flies shawl. Gauge is 4" = 12 stitches, for a DK or worsted yarn, on a size 8 needle. Huh??!! I went up to a size 11 needle, still with two stitches too many. I posted a question on Ravelry, and someone suggested this was the blocked gauge, though no one was sure if it was for stockinette or the eyelet pattern. I then read through all 41 pages of posts for the KAL last summer, and a number of knitters remarked that the shawl came out smaller than the pattern's suggested sizes, which I want to avoid. I emailed the designer, who was very friendly, and said that the gauge doesn't matter because of the blocking, but that still doesn't really help me...I'm going to go with 10s, which still seem too loose, and hope for the best.

 

But knitting is not the only area of my life right now where the theme of perseverance keeps recurring.

* I went to a meeting at a labor agency hoping for ideas for other companies or career paths that use my writing and editing skills. After looking over my resumes and cover letters, and being told by the agent there was nothing he would recommend I change, that he didn't have anything else to offer me, he ended by saying, "be persistent...it will come."

* I attended a workshop called "Design Your Dreams" for women entrepreneurs, to learn more about goal-setting and promoting business. The exercises were fun -- vision boards are similar to the magazine collages I loved to make in art class -- and the dreaded networking was not so bad. (I am an introverted person, and networking is a painful but necessary process I have resigned myself to embrace). The speakers' main message, advice for achieving goals and dreams? Perseverance.

 

On break, before we start collaging. Yes, I chose the pink paper.

* Two weeks ago, I bought a copy of Ride Your Way Lean by Selene Yeager. I needed a cycling training plan to help build strength and endurance (a cousin of the p-word) while also helping me to lose some weight. Week one was tough -- the rainy weather meant I spent many hours riding indoors on the stationary trainer which is mind-numbing, even with my Rosemary & Thyme DVDs. And week two? One workout in, and my hip/IT band is screaming in pain. Too many miles too fast. I'm doing ice and ibuprofen and trying not to get frustrated that I can't ride until the inflammation calms down. I feel like it's an uphill battle to get past this part of the training plan where the weak muscles will get stronger, to persevere until I can see results. Ack.

I am tired of persevering. I long for the "lucky break," the synchronicity where something positive will come together more easily and stick around for a while, to encourage me to keep persevering with all the other things for which I've been working so hard. Don't you feel that way sometimes too? I saw a sign in the labor agent's office that said something like, "So many people give up, not knowing that success was just around the corner." I sure hope I turn that corner soon!

P.S. I watched the Royal Wedding this morning, and thought Kate made such a lovely bride. I hope her simple, elegant style will have a great influence on fashion, as my favorite Grace Kelly's did so many years ago. I wish her and William the best for a long, happy marriage. With all the tragedy in the world lately, it was nice to share a little bit in their joy.

Cute Kitty Hat & Yarn Stash Sale!

Thank you for your input on my dining room. I still can't decide what to do (everyone else seemed to be undecided as well!); perhaps when we're done painting the guest room, which will be light blue, I'll know better if that will work. The dining room is right below the guest room in our house, so the daylight will be similar.

A friend and fellow volunteer at the shelter is a grandmother-to-be, and I want to knit her little one, due in February, a little something special. When I saw this kit in the Knitpicks catalog, I knew it would be perfect!

 

Sorry for the murky photo!

I chose gray and black yarn because the new grandbaby is going to be a boy, and I'm not sure how his parents would feel about a hat with pink ears! :) I'll start this after Christmas, since I've begun a different project which I'll show you next post.

Do you notice how your crafting tastes evolve over time? When I started my blog, handpainted yarns were my weakness. Every LYS that I visited had some colorful handpainted fiber I couldn't live without, and I'd buy one or two skeins. Four years later, sweaters and shawls are my obsession, and since I don't do much in the way of gift knitting, these pretty single skeins remain unknit. So...if you are a sock knitter or lace knitter, or are looking for yarn for your One Skein patterns for holiday gifts, please click on over to my Ravelry stash sell/trade page and see if there is something you like. Please email me at scarlett22770 at yahoo dot com if you have questions, or to arrange for paypal payment. I'm happy to combine & discount yarns; I'd be so thrilled to give these a new home so I can make more room for sweater yarn.

Fall Fashion 2010

Though I'm not a big fan of autumn generally, I love to look at The September Issues of fashion magazines (Did you see the Vogue documentary by the same name, with Anna Wintour?).

As a knitter, there were two pages that stood out to me. The first was in People Style Watch:

 

The second is from InStyle:

 

Chunky Knits. I'm not sure I like these particular styles, other than the shawl-collared cardigans, but they do inspire me to knit after my late summer break. The camel ones don't do anything for my coloring, but I kind of like the gray sweaters.

I've decided to go ahead and keep working on my pink skirt, because if I put it away, I might forget where I left off. Also -- it's straight stockinette at this point, so perfect for mindless knitting, car and otherwise. But maybe after I finish that, I'll start a fall sweater. In the meantime, to feed my ballet sweater obsession, I found this, in ivory mohair. Yum.

 

Since I don't sew, I can't show you any photos of sewing WIPs. But I can show you a new dress I bought a few weeks ago. It will look great with tights and a cardigan when it's too cold to have bare limbs!

 

It thrills me to have some new things already completed and ready to wear. Have you purchased any new clothes for fall, sweaters or otherwise? What are you still looking for? Are there any must-have new yarns you can't wait to knit up?

Next up: I finished reading My Year of Meats...

What I Wish I Were Knitting

As we get closer to the date of the Pedal for Paws charity ride, Oct. 2, my "to-do" list is taking over my life. It's so exciting to see things come together, but it hasn't left me as much time for knitting as I would like. Then I had a little roller skating accident last Wednesday, and my left wrist and arm are still very sore.

I'm accepting I'm just not going to finish my pink skirt in time to wear for Labor Day. Even if I finished the skirt, the embroidery/crochet trim etc. will take weeks. So now I'm trying to decide, do I keep going with it anyway, or start on some of the, ahem, cooler weather sweaters I'd like to have?

Here are some of the things I want to knit now:

1. Betty Sweater

2. Terese and Sophie

Yarn for Terese

I have the yarn for Sophie, above, in the same color
 

3. Helleborus Yoke

4.Cropped cardigan in Vogue Spring/Summer '10 

no stash yarn for this, but I can be easily persuaded to buy sea-colored mohair

5. Forever Tweed

Can also possibly use this Rowan Tweed for Helleborus Yoke, above

6. Heather Hoodie Vest or Alexandra Hoodie

If I use this for the Heather pattern, I'll have too much left over

7. Katharine Hepburn or Que Sera or Lace Cardigan by Louisa Harding

I don't have stash yarn for any of these

8. Beltane Tee

Same as above, though I could really use this as a vest when it starts to get cold, and it is only Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece...

I'm still looking for a lace shawl pattern for my white and indigo dress, and I have a million scarf patterns with yarns to knit them, though I'm trying to finish my Seashore Beaded Scarf (aka Undulating Waves by Laura Nelkin). I also have yarn to make two Noni purses.

I have the hardware and also the yarn for the roses, too

Received this for Christmas last year; no hardware needed
 

It gets overwhelming at times -- all these great patterns to knit! Are you finishing up your summer projects, or have you already transitioned to fall?

Hibernation

Thank you for your kind words about Pedal for Paws. I've been sending and delivering letters to lots of local companies in the past few weeks, and I'm hopeful for a good response.

Every year about mid-to-late January, I hit a bit of a wall. The sinus headaches start, I'm really tired all the time, and don't concentrate well. It's frustrating. Before I recognized it was a seasonal thing, I used to worry that something was really wrong, and even had the doctor check my thyroid, iron, and Vitamin D levels. Now I know there's nothing to do but accept it, enjoy hibernation, and wait it out. I feel better this winter than I usually do, probably because of the indoor bike riding, working on the charity ride plans, and the cozy fires in our fireplace. But spring with its warmth and sunshine won't come too soon!

You would think that I would be doing lots of knitting by the fire, but because of the above, my knitting motivation has left the building. Here is my first wristwarmer; the pair is taking so much longer to complete than it needs to. I'm not happy with the thumb, but decided to go ahead and knit the second mitt first to get some sense of accomplishment, and then go back and fix it.

Thankfully, I have been spending more time in books. The Mysterious Mr. Quin by Agatha Christie was a fun collection of short stories, tied together by the characters of Mr. Quin, a god-like figure and harlequin (Harley Quin), and Mr. Satterthwaite. Mr. S is a senior gentleman of the upper class whose taste for human drama and wisdom to analyze it draws him to all kinds of adventures beyond his comfort zone. When Mr. Quin appears out of nowhere during Mr. S's travels, he knows instantly to pay attention -- there is a murder to solve or a wrong to right. We're not sure exactly what Mr. Quin is, which only makes the stories more interesting.

I'm now reading Pride and Prejudice -- Elizabeth is very interested in Mr. Wickham, and her cousin Mr. Collins is very interested in her. The upcoming ball should be very telling! Chris and I have been watching the new Emma on PBS the past few Sundays and we like it a lot more than I had expected we would. Are you watching it? If so, what do you think?

A big thank you to Musings from the Sofa, whom I know a little from real life. She had a book contest/giveaway on her blog a few months ago, and gifted me with this:

 

I've not read it before, and only saw a snatch of the movie, but it's a book people keep recommending to me. I guess it's time I read it! Thank you, Ms. Musings!!

One of my New Year's goals is to work on some home projects. Hibernating gives you more time to decorate and spruce up your cave! One project I've wanted to do for a long while was to have an electrician install my chandelier. It came from an antiques shop and used to hang in the dining room of our previous home. When we moved to our current house, there was no electrical fixture in the ceiling for it, so it's been stored in a box in the attic until now.

In a few weeks, we are planning to finally paint our kitchen. It will be a light green, somewhere between sage (yellow) and mint (blue). I've been talking about it for a long time, I know, but it's a huge project and we needed to find just the right time when Chris had extra days off and it wasn't during bike racing season. I'm glad that these New Year's goals are working out so well! Now, if I can just get my knitting inspiration back!

Happy 2010!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas (if you celebrate it) and a happy and safe New Year. I took a little blog vacation the past two weeks to prepare for company, enjoy some time with my family, and help Chris celebrate his birthday on January 2.

I received some lovely yarn to make the Noni felted purses I've mentioned in past posts:

for the Night Garden Evening Bag -- the same colors as in the pattern photo

 
for the Sweetheart Roses on the Petit Fours purse. I ordered the frame and feet today too!

 

And what would Christmas be without new books? It wouldn't be Christmas! Our bookcases are in a sorry, overstuffed state now, and Chris is threatening new ones to add to the dining room.Good thing it's winter, when we have more reading time. I've already finished A Christmas Promise by Anne Perry, which I'll review in an upcoming post. Another Georgette Heyer mystery, The Unfinished Clue, arrived after the photo was taken.

What am I working on now? I'm knitting the Lace Twist Mitts by Debbie O'Neill, from the fall 2009 Knitscene, and I'm reading The Mysterious Mr. Quin by Agatha Christie. My fancy new copy of Pride and Prejudice (see On The Nightstand column for these -- my edition of TMMQ is an old one, though) arrived from Amazon after Christmas, a present to myself, and I'm reading it in anticipation of a trip with friends to the Morgan Library in NYC this weekend. We are going to see the Jane Austen exhibit, and though I won't finish the book in time, I'll hopefully have a better appreciation for what I'll see there.

What are you working on now, knitting, reading, or otherwise? I hope your New Year (and goals) are going well so far. Next post I'll share some of mine.

P.S. A photo of my last knitted ornament for this Christmas, a gold and red one, is in the 2009 Knitted Objects photo album. I couldn't show a photo until now because it was a gift.