My Husband Is a Yarn Widower

Cookies were indeed swapped...

2011-12-08T04:20:00.002-05:00

Oh and the cookies! Check out the haul!

We each brought 3 dozen cookies and took home about the same. Some highlights:

Orange nut lace cookies dipped in chocolate
Cranberry cookies with lemon zest icing
2 different kinds of gingerbread
Praline Cookies
Shortbread
Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Potato Chip Cookies
Cocoa Meringue Cookies
Eggnog Cookies

And then there came the party favors (my favorite part):

Carolyn is quite the quilter so she made us each a Mug Rug - a coaster big enough for your mug of hot chocolate and a little snack to accompany it.

And Charity, being Charity, raided her extensive shawl closet and brought us each one to take home. This is an incredibly generous gift. Charity has a great eye for color and design. Each shawl is a one-of-a-kind work of art requiring hundreds of hours.

Jamie displays her chosen shawl

We each selected one and we all agreed that each shawl matched the recipient quite beautifully. Except Jamie somehow ended up with my shawl... Funny, that.

Cookie Swap 2011

2011-12-07T15:33:00.003-05:00

This year, the annual Cookie Swap was hosted by Melissa. She very graciously opened up her home to us for some nibbling and knitting.

Cookies to share

That's Jamie in the corner. Yes, sometimes we do put Baby in the corner. Speaking of babies, Caryn is currently incubating one. Atta girl, Caryn!


Some of us are shy

But not these two

That's Auntie Carolyn checking on the incubation progress. So far, so good.

The usual suspects: Rebecca,Charity and Faith

Yes, it's true. We have two of the virtues (Faith and Charity) in our little knitting group. We are currently looking for Hope,. Patience, Prudence and Temperance. If you know of their whereabouts, please send them our way.

The elusive and mysterious Kerrilyn, our resident Sock Guru

Faith and Helen discussing serious knitting matters

Shhhhhh. They're doing math.

Resident Yarn Taster

This is Nabokov. He likes to chew on yarn.

Hostess in a rare moment of relaxation

This is Melissa. She's cool but she's very particular about where she sits in knitting group. Middle seat facing the baristas; that's just how it is and it's not up for discussion. Of course, in her home she is no different. This is "her" seat. Only she (and the Grinch) are allowed to sit in the Seat. No one else.

Oh no she didn't...

Melissa trying to act nonchalant and failing utterly.

Nabakov says he can sit wherever he wants

Holiday Cheer

2011-12-06T10:18:00.000-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Well, not really - it's 70-80 degrees out and not to make you Northerners too envious but I sleep at night with the windows open. Such a nice reprieve from the brutal heat and humidity of summer.

Anyway, what's a holiday season without cookies. Every year, my knitting group holds a cookie swap. This year, I made Yarn Widower's favorite: Gourmet Magazine's Basic Butter Cookies decorated with rainbow non-pareils. Recipe can be found here.

I make them with Plugra butter (higher fat content than regular butter; Whole Foods usually stocks it) and I have to admit, they are some mighty fine cookies. I would make them more often but I always make a mess of it. Flour everywhere.

Where is that dang sous chef when I need him?

On my second batch, I had a eureka moment. I loosened the beater from the mixer and manually stirred in the flour to combine it just enough before reattaching the beater to do its job. And voila, no mess this time. I don't know why that has never occurred to me before. Maybe it's because I don't bake very often - too fussy, too messy, too highly caloric.


Messy crumbly deliciousness

Highly caloric cookie log


Before


After

Yum

More to come...

La Domestique

2011-12-01T10:31:00.000-05:00

Some people decided that sock knitting would be a great competitive sport: Tour de Sock to benefit Doctors Without Borders. I'm a little fuzzy on all the details - maybe one of you competitive sock knitters can fill us in. My home team decided to call themselves Team Toe-tally Socksome. (And yes, there are teams apparently all with equally punny names.)

Unfortunately, Team Toe-tally Socksome quickly became Team Toe-tally Sucksome as knitter after knitter dropped out. Speed knitting is grueling work. Which is why I much prefer to watch on the sidelines. I'm lazy that way.

In the end, Kerrilyn stood alone atop the leaderboard but even she couldn't knit quite fast enough and without her team to back her up, her light slowly faded as other knitters overtook her lead. OK. I'm being a bit dramatic for the sake of the story but Kerrilyn did prove herself to be one of the top 10 fastest sock knitters in the world. Sock Domination on a global scale is no small feat. Kudos to K-Ro!

But enough about Kerrilyn (she's got her own blog - I don't need to go on and on about her like I am wont to do). Enter Melissa of Boynton Beach who decided to start knitting socks just for this competition. She even trained beforehand - that's how dedicated she was. But alas, she succumbed to the dreaded Second Sock Syndrome. When she told me about this, I offered to step in. I would be her domestique.

In cycling, a domestique is a team player. This is someone who is willing to pull for the leader; i.e., give the leader a break by letting her draft behind for a bit, someone who will fend off attacks from other riders, dole out water bottles and power bars as needed. I am that person. La Domestique. Actually, come to think of it, I'm more like a pinch hitter but let's stick to one sport metaphor per post.

So I knit some socks:

Pattern: Calable by Regina Satta available via Ravelry or here if you are fluent in German.

Yarn: Araucania Ranco Solid (Fingering / 4 ply - 75% Wool, 25% Nylon. 376 yards / 100 grams)

colorway unknown - I don't have the label

0.75 skein used or approximately 282 yards for size 8

Needles: US 2

I ended up frogging Melissa's first sock because it was hard for me to match her tension. Also, for the sake of simplicity, she had used one cable pattern for both the front and back of the sock. I like the cable on the back of the sock.

I always worry that cables make socks too bulky but this wasn't the case here. The cables are smooth and lie relatively flat while still providing some visual interest and texture. I like cables - they're fun to knit especially if you knit without a cable needle.

However, I would not recommend this pattern for someone who hasn't knit a bunch of socks before. Melissa is a fine knitter (she's knitting a Alice Starmore bohemoth; ergo, she is a total rock star) but this is not a good pattern for Sock No. 3 (Sock No. 1 being her practice sock). The pattern is charted but it's unnecessarily complex and lacks the conventional charting symbols thus rather defeating the whole purpose of visualizing the end product. And what little text there is, is poorly translated from the author's native German. Having turned a good number of heels, I muddled through okay and am reasonably happy with the results:

I hope Melissa is too!

SAD

2011-11-21T14:25:00.000-05:00

I feel compelled to explain my long absence. I'm back in Florida now - have been for almost two months. And for a variety of reasons, I've been taking my sweet time getting back into my daily routine: reading, writing, knitting, cooking. Some things come back faster than others.

For instance, I've been reading some great stuff: Ann Patchett's State of Wonder was the highlight of my summer, and recently I read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - a Young Adult novel for those of us who are definitely beyond the Young Adulthood phase of our lives. I've been slowly getting back into the knitting (more on that later). And the cooking - well, I do have to eat.

But the writing has been slow to return. Sure, I scribble stuff down in my journal but that's not really fit for human consumption. I blame the weather for my relative reticence. This time of year when the days are noticeably shorter, I slow down. I hibernate, cocoon, whatever you want to call it. To be more precise and clinical, I have Seasonal Affective Disorder. For me, April is not the cruelest month; November is.

When I lived in New England, it was very pronounced. But being young and melancholy at the time, I just thought I was depressed and if I waited long enough, it would pass. It wasn't until I moved to Philadelphia that it occurred to me that I might have SAD. Now that I live in Florida, Autumn is much, much better. Moving to the Sunshine State - instant cure for SAD!

http://www.soupandsun.com/wallpaper/wallpaperimages/sadrain/rain-1024x768.html

Except, it's been a particularly rainy Fall this year. Did you know that West Palm Beach is the fourth rainiest city in the country? It's true and after these past few months, I believe it. There's been a lot of cloudy days. A lot of rain.

Everytime I look into buying a sun lamp, the real sun comes out for a day or two. A small reprieve to brighten my mood. Here's a little sunshine to end a rather somber post - a photograph of my friend Teagan sporting the duck booties I knitted for her way back when.

Teagan's grandfather (the artist Mark Kashino) concocted the duckling in baby booties. Just what I needed.

Not much knittin' going on

2011-09-01T12:37:00.000-04:00

It's true. The hot dry heat of the desert has completely chased away my knitting mojo. I brought two projects out here with me and they both languish in neglect. Poor things.

Of course when I informed my knitting buddy Kerrilyn, the first thing she said was, "This worries me - you better not stop knitting altogether."

pause

"But if you do, can I have dibs on your stash?"

Unpredictable

2011-08-11T17:48:00.000-04:00

I know it's been a while. And I had such plans too. But life can be unpredictable and this past month has been exactly that. Suffice it to say that there was a family emergency that launched me and the Yarn Widower into crisis mode and seriously it's taken us this long to recover. The family member in question is doing very well, thank you for inquiring.

However, I'm now in California. How long I'll be here remains to be seen. It's nice enough out here although I have to admit that I much prefer coastal towns to the more inland desert. Guess where I'm located right now. 108 degrees in the shade. And yes, it is a dry heat but there's little difference between baking and braising; the end result is still the same.

More later.

For the Birds

2011-07-05T08:49:00.000-04:00

To tell you the truth, I've never really paid too much attention to the critters. Living in the urban Northeast, birds were just part of the landscape: pigeons, doves, orioles, bluejays and the occasional cardinal. But it's different in coastal Florida. For one thing, birds are everywhere. And they're big (relatively speaking).

We live on a lake so everyday I see ibis, egrets, ducks, geese and the homely turkey-duck (Yarn Widower calls them "turduckens"). They're noisy but pleasant neighbors. A few days ago, we had a special visitor: a roseate spoonbill.

http://www.richard-seaman.com/Wallpaper/Nature/Birds/Waders/index.html

I'd never seen a pink bird before and I was enthralled. In my own backyard no less! Our showy guest flew away before I could get out the zoom lens for my camera - birds can be notoriously difficult photo models. Plus given the choice of seeing with one's own eye versus through a camera lens, I'll take the former every time.

But I particularly like the eye of the late graphic artist Charley Harper:

http://www.circlecityframes.com/Description%20Pages/ft_roseate.html

Lalique

2011-06-23T07:05:00.000-04:00

http://www.antiques-prices.com/lalique-glassware-pricevalue-guide-240

Rene Jules Lalique was an Art Nouveau jewelry designer and glassmaker. With a name like that, how could he have become anything else? For some of us, a name is more than simply a moniker; it's destiny. A rose may smell as sweet by any other name to Juliet but in this I disagree with the Bard. Chilean Sea Bass is far more appealing than Patagonian Toothfish. Names are important. Ask any ad exec or new parent-to-be.

This is Lalique. I suppose Lalique would be just as pretty if it were named something else, say, Sarkozy. On second thought, I don't think so.

In the pictures that come along with the pattern, there is a button fastening at the front of the neck. But no instructions for a buttonhole. When I asked the designer about this, she said that the front button/pin had been an afterthought added on by The Sanguine Gryphon, who commissioned the design. I tried on my finished cardigan and found that I much preferred a fastening of some sort. The above pin is lovely but too heavy for the delicate cardigan.

For the modeled pictures, I settled on this little crescent moon pin. It will suffice until I find an appropriate lightweight button, and then I might add on an i-cord loop in lieu of a buttonhole.

Some things I've learned about lace knitting:

1. I have to knit much looser than usual. Maybe it's the delicate nature of the yarn. More likely it's the impossibility of manipulating tiny stitches wound tightly around tiny needles. Ease up, girl!

2. Blocking is absolutely necessary. See previous post.

3. Blocking is magical. See previous post.

4. Lifelines are for sissies. Just kidding. Despite the intricacy of the lace, all those feather and fan repeats made the body relatively straight-forward and I found I didn't need one. A good thing because the Tess' Designer Yarn Superwash Merino Lace felts at the slightest notice. Ripping out my mistakes was an exercise in patience.

5. I really like the way the edging at the bottom hem and sleeves is constructed. It's the first time I've encountered a vertically constructed edging. For instance most knitting starts at either the top or bottom and grows up or down. In this edging, one starts from one side picking up a live stitch from the hem on every other row. I know that probably sounds confusing - I was certainly puzzled but the end result was well worth all the head-scratching.

It's a lovely garment - as lovely as its name. The lace was just what I needed after my stockinette overdose and happily, it turned out to be one of those projects that I couldn't put down. I'm very pleased with it. I've worn it once so far (aside from modeling the pictures). It's really hot outside right now and wool lace is surprisingly warm but just the thing for overly air-conditioned coffee shops.

From one extreme to the other

2011-06-21T09:34:00.000-04:00

I made a lace cardigan. First I bought the pattern and thought about it. Don't bother me, I'm ~~counting~~ thinking about knitting!

Then I joined a KAL (Knit-A-Long) on Ravelry.

And then I swatched.

Pattern: Lalique by Laura Patterson
for The Sanguine Gryphon yarn company

Yarn: Tess' Designer Yarns Superwash Merino Lace (100% merino)
1.25 skeins or approximately 625 yards
colorway not specified but I would describe it as a pale golden brown
I picked up this yarn a few years ago at Maryland Sheep & Wool. A fine souvenir from a memorable day.

Needle size: US5
Actually, the above swatch is done in US4 and the gauge is just a wee bit too small. Instead of knitting a new swatch with a larger size needle, I just guessed and dove right in. I know! Knitting without getting gauge - gasp! I'm so reckless!

Here's a close-up of what will be the front edge of the cardigan. The bellflowers totally make the garment for me. So pretty. Some folks are beading their cardigans. But after some experimentation, I decided against it. Delicate lace is already a stretch for post-modernist stockinette-loving me. I'm not quite ready for beading just yet.

The body is feather-and-fan repeats.

After admiring my swatch for a bit, I cast on and knitted and knitted and knitted. Then I knitted and knitted and knitted some more (I can be quite obsessive.)

The result: the body of the cardigan in all its knitted glory. Pre-blocking, it's just a hot mess. But I had faith in the blocking process.

A few wires and a plethora of pins later! One great tip that I got from the KAL, block the garment in half so that each side matches. If you look closely, you can see the wire that bisects the body. I didn't thread it through the lace - I just simply folded the lace over the wire. I did thread the front of the cardigan through a wire and used a flexible wire for the armhole. Everything else was pinned in place (including every single point of the hem which gave it a nice scalloped edge where the feather-and-fan meets the bottom edging.)

Another tip to anyone knitting this pattern: Specifically for the edging, ignore the charts at first and just follow the written directions exactly. In my opinion, the charts for the edging are too confusing since they don’t follow traditional charting conventions (i.e. there is no RS or WS).

Next up: sleeves and finishing!

A Love Letter and a Song of Despair

2011-06-16T15:33:00.000-04:00

Dear Stockinette,

You know I love you. I will always love you. You are elegant in your simplicity. You comfort me. You entrance me. There is no other stitch pattern quite like you.

You and me - we had a really good thing going.

But we need a break from each other. And here's the reason why:

Pattern: Jill's Dress by Kristina McGowan
from Modern Top-Down Knitting

Yarn: Knit Picks Simply Cotton Sport (100% cotton) in colorway Bittersweet Heather
11 skeins or approx 1804 yards

Needle size: US 4

This dress. It nearly broke me. Two straight months of stockinette. Let's just say it was too much of a good thing.

Please don't be upset with me. You are my first love and I will always come back to you. I just need some time.

Surely you, too, must feel the effects of all that prolonged time together. I know I can be difficult and demanding at times. Forgive me. Maybe I want too much...

But for now, I need some time to explore and figure things out. I know I will return to you. I can't say when and I can't say how. But believe me when I say I will always come back to you.

Love,

Me

My stars!

2011-06-08T09:20:00.000-04:00

So I knit this top.

And at first, I got really excited because of its unique construction. It's made from the center of the star outwards.

Pattern: #02 Star Camisole by Mary Lynn Patrick
Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2009

Yarn: Be Sweet Bamboo DK - 100% bamboo
7.5 skeins or approx 825 yards

Needle Size: US 5 for the center of the star and the ribbing
US 6 for the rest of the body

But then, it wasn't so great. When I followed the pattern as written, the armholes hung down to my lower ribs. After a few days of experimentation, I managed to engineer something. Now that I look at other people's versions of this top, I realize that perhaps the neckline should have been much higher and that would have helped my problem with the armholes.

I ended up crocheting the edges of the straps to counteract the drapiness of the bamboo.

It was interesting to knit but I'm not sure how much I'll wear it. For whatever reason, I just don't feel all that comfortable in it. I like how it looks on other people but I'm not so sure if I like how it looks on me. I suppose that's one big problem about knitting a garment. With store-bought items, you can always try things on before purchasing. But with most hand knits, I'm never quite sure how the end product is going to look and feel before I commit to it. C'est la vie. I can always frog it, n'est-ce pas?

Got my Mojo Back

2011-05-31T09:09:00.000-04:00

Some sneak peeks:

Drape Neck Top

2011-05-25T15:32:00.000-04:00

It's hot. High 80's Low 90's. The only nod to the concept of "Spring" is that the humidity is not too bad right now. 50-60%. Next month it will be 90 degrees with humidity in the 90's. Summer will last from June to mid October. Sigh.

The first summer I spent in South Florida, it felt like I was having one long hot flash. I learned very quickly that daily dips in the pool and light loose-fitting clothing was necessary for survival. Life without air conditioning is just not possible.

This summer I'm going to focus my knitting on summery things. My first foray: lace panels provide built-in ventilation.

Pattern: #3 Drape Neck Top by Jacqueline Van Dillen
from Vogue Knitting Magazine Spring/Summer 2011

Yarn: Narvik Young Touch Cotton DK 100% cotton
12 balls or approx 1368 yards
Shade 7500 (white)

Needle size: US 4 for the neck and cap sleeves
US 6 for the body

The cotton yarn was a gift (thanks, Bobbi!) and perfect for this pattern. It knits up into a crisp fabric. Despite that, I wouldn't recommend it as it was extremely splitty. It is very loosely plied and I had to redo a lot of stitches to avoid snags.

Modifications:

1. The gauge I got with this yarn was 6 stitches per inch (pattern gauge is 4.5). After swatching the center panel, I decided I liked it enough to rework the pattern to fit my gauge.

2. I opted against the split bottom hem and made the entire hem 10 rows of garter stitch.

3. After completing the collar and trying it on, I decided I didn’t like all that fabric around my neck - too warm! I frogged and reknitted it so that there’s only three rows of garter around the sides and back of the neck. Left the front neck at 20 rows so that it would drape accordingly.

4. I turned the sleeves into "cap sleeves" and made them more fitted.

A little winter white for what promises to be a blazing hot summer...

Seaming Tip

2011-05-13T15:55:00.000-04:00

There are many great tutorials about seaming (Knitty.com has a good one) so I won't go into that here. Just thought I'd share a handy little tool for "pinning" the pieces together before you seam.

Hair clips - the kind that has those interlocking spikes - I believe they are commonly referred to as Claw or Jaw Hair Clips. I find that the smallest ones are invaluable when it comes to seaming.

They're easy to use and snag-free. Even on slippery bamboo. I don't recommend using orchid clips (they look the same but are used to hold floppy orchid stems to wooden stakes) as they tend to have rough edges. Bad for knits.

They're tiny...

but quite sturdy. I also use them to "baste" pieces together to check for fit before committing the time and effort to seaming. For the blue bamboo camisole (more about that later) I used my clips to baste the strap onto the body so I could try it on to see if I needed to shorten or lengthen it.

Best of all, they're inexpensive and easy to find. I picked up mine at Target. Online, they're available here. Happy seaming!

At the Dog Park

2011-05-02T11:50:00.000-04:00

Watching dogs play is the best antidepressant.

After all, canine joy is abundant and highly contagious.

However, there's little concept of personal space.

A lot of good-natured posturing

My, what big teeth you have...

Disclaimer: no animals were harmed in the making of this photo essay

There's always a trouble-maker

Group Run

Some prefer to relax

THE END

Bennan is Two

2011-04-28T10:45:00.000-04:00

There have been some requests for Bennan photos. So here they are.

Life is really hard for the little guy

Getting a tan is exhausting work

Bennan and the Yarn Widower like to play in the pool

But they also like to chill out

and have deep conversations (Bennan does most of the talking).

Still quite flexible

Happy birthday, Bennan.

Earth Day - Composting

2011-04-22T11:18:00.000-04:00

I'm not much of a gardener but I compost. It's very satisfying to take kitchen scraps, shredded newspaper and the contents of my dryer's lint screen (yes! lint is compostable) and somehow magically turn it all into rich loamy dirt.

http://compostingcouncil.org/

It's almost as amazing as watching seedlings grow. Mother Nature - she's so crafty.

Compost is good stuff - it dramatically improves soil quality not just in nutrients but also in pH, structure and water absorbing abilities. And it isn't just for vegetable gardening. I use it to top off my potted plants, enrich the soil around my trees, bushes and other landscaping plants.

Bromeliads love compost too.

But mainly I compost because it cuts down on the volume of trash that gets trucked to the landfill. Along with recycling, composting has drastically reduced the amount of trash our little household generates on a weekly basis. Less trash means less fuel used by the garbage trucks and the landfill bulldozers. And of course, less trash to occupy our already burgeoning landfills. (Florida is so flat that if you see any kind of hillock, you're probably looking at an old landfill).

Twin composting bins

You can buy all sorts of compost bins but after doing a little internet research, I made my own with a plastic garbage can and a drill. Not only was it one of the most inexpensive options out there, it meant that I could easily move the bin in case of a hurricane warning. Compost pile as hurricane projectile is just not a good idea. I made two so that after I filled one, I could invert the contents into the second bin thus giving me access to the finished compost at the bottom of the heap.

newspaper, onion skins, egg shells, etc.

It's not pretty but it works. People always ask me about the odor. I keep the bins right next to our patio door for easy access. The lid helps contain any smells and insect activity. As long as I keep the contents well balanced (brown vs. green) and keep out any meat and dairy, no one ever seems to notice. Although once one of our neighbors asked the Yarn Widower why on earth his wife was rolling a garbage can around the yard. (For aeration of course!)

fruit salad for the compost bin

Indoors, I keep a compost pail for random kitchen scraps. I always line it with shredded newspaper so that it's easy to empty out later. I got mine for $15 at my local Homegoods store. It comes with a replaceable carbon filter in the lid.

Composting Resources:

http://www.howtocompost.org/
http://www.compostinstructions.com/
http://www.composting101.com/how-it-works.html

Doldrums

2011-04-20T10:09:00.000-04:00

Every Spring, as I transition from knitting cozy warm sweaters to much lighter fare, I have a period of relative inactivity. I have a few projects on the needles but nothing that demands my constant attention. So things tend to stagnate/hibernate for a bit. That's where I'm at right now.

All I can say is, thank goodness for my knitting buddies. I can rest assured in the knowledge that they will see me through. At least once a week I know I will be among them and laugh and be inspired.

No matter what, I always make sure I have some straight stockinette to take to knitting night. Every now and then someone shows up without any knitting. This is always a bit weird to me. Perhaps they have forgotten it at home or they brought the knitting but not the pattern. Once at a DC Stitch n' Bitch, one of the women came straight from work and had forgotten to pack her knitting that morning. She sat amongst us in a state of mild agitation - she left early. Itchy fingers.

For a while there was a man who would routinely show up at knitting without any knitting. That was really weird. And somewhat awkward. Once I gently suggested that he should bring his knitting because after all, we are a knitting group. He stopped coming soon after.

My point? Oh right. My point is that despite my knitting malaise, I always have at least one project to take to knitting night. I have faith that if I just keep at it, my knitting mojo will return to me once again. Hopefully soon. I'm running out of stuff to blog about.

My Husband is a Luthier

2011-04-13T19:20:00.000-04:00

Yarn Widower built himself a guitar. From scratch. For real.

Guitar Innards

A little over a year ago, Yarn Widower started to play the guitar. He bought a clunker from some dude on Craigslist and started messing around with it. He replaced the strings, shaved down the saddle and the nut (they determine how high the strings sit off the frets) and started to think about upgrading to a nicer guitar. He did a little research and stumbled upon this guy who built his own guitar in his kitchen.

Now ever since I started knitting, Yarn Widower has complained that knitting distracts me from my one true love: him. "Not so," I say, "See, I can knit and talk to you at the same time. But not right now; I'm counting." What's a Yarn Widower to do with all his spare time while I am busy counting out my stitches?

While he golfs on a weekly basis and enjoys going to the driving range, his creative side yearned to make something. There's something so viscerally satisfying about making stuff. I get that and I bet most of you do as well. Thus, my Yarn Widower started to build his own guitar.

Guitar-Shaped Box

In about a year, he built this lovely thing - inlaid trim and hand-polished wood that glows. Recently he put on the strings and began to play it. It sounds like a real guitar!

Now he can practice playing his new guitar while I knit. Yes, it's pretty awesome to have live acoustic accompaniment while knitting - I'm a lucky girl.

Check out his photo stream...

Koolhaats

2011-04-11T11:36:00.000-04:00

I have a couple of projects going on right now but nothing ready for presentation. And then I remembered that I had some gift knitting to report on. Actually two gifts that have since been given.

model: Yarn Widower

Pattern: Koolhaas by Jared Flood

Yarn: Rowan RYC Cashsoft Aran (57% Merino, 33% Microfiber, 10% Cashmere)
1.5 skeins or approx 143 yards in Colorway SH 014

Needle size: US 6 & 8

Rem Koolhaas is a Dutch architect whose geometric designs are brilliantly displayed in the Seattle Public Library, the inspiration for this hat.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seattle_Public_Library.jpg

This is a classic pattern. One that can be appropriate for men and women. Before starting, I learned how to cable without a cable needle and found this video very helpful. This is a great technique for small cables - I think of it as simply re-ordering the stitches on your left needle prior to knitting or purling them.

A lot of cables

Makes for a fun knit. So I made another one.

model: me!

Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Royal Silk Merino (51% silk, 49% merino)
1.25 skeins or approx. 140 yards in colorway 0003

Needle size: US 6 & 8

Actually, I think my friend Ida models this one much better:

model: Ida Akiko Rock

http://idaakiko.blogspot.com/2011/02/cold-bright-days.html

Knitting Groups

2011-03-30T11:09:00.000-04:00

http://www.corbisimages.com/Enlargement/HU032666.html

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about "knitting communities". Of course, there's Ravelry, the Mother of all online knitting communities. (If you're not familiar with Ravelry, it's like Facebook for Knitters if Facebook was created by a really cool couple - she knits, he codes - who are committed to actually creating a sense of community and not by some ruthless Harvard grad who is more interested in stealing ideas and information for his own profit.)

But what about real face-to-face, person-to-person knitting communities? Circles, Meetups, Groups, Stitch n' Bitches, whatever you may call them, groups of women (and men) who meet on a regular basis to knit, crochet, and spin together. Recently I posted on a Ravelry board that there is a knitting group that meets every day of the week (except for Sundays and Fridays) in Palm Beach County. And these are just the ones that are publicly posted. So I set out to visit each one throughout the month of March. Afterwards I posted a short review.

So here it is - the end of the month and to wrap it all up, I thought I would review the two knitting groups I frequent the most: Boca Raton Knit & Crochet, The Fiber Freaks of Boynton Beach.

Boca Raton Knit & Crochet meets every Thursday night at a Starbucks on Glades Road. This is a moderate sized group with anywhere from 6 to 15 members on any given night. The members are mostly women (one intrepid man) whose ages range from early thirties to beyond. Of all the groups I've encountered in Palm Beach County, this group skews most towards younger knitters with most members in their thirties, forties and active fifties. But like all the other groups, there is a wide variety of skill levels (beginner to experienced) and preferred modalities (crochet, spinning, needlepoint). Group members will often meet up outside of "Knit Nite" to visit various yarn stores (The Knitting Garden in Coral Gables is a frequent carpool destination), celebrate a holiday or birthday, or watch a movie.

The staff at Starbucks is very friendly and accommodating (our favorite baristas treat us well). We usually take up a corner of the store and spread out over a few tables. There's always room to pull up another chair although the upholstered ones are usually the first to go. Conversation is sometimes loud and bawdy (depending on the participants) but always interesting. I always find myself looking forward to Thursday nights.

Fiber Freaks of Boynton Beach was started by two members of the Boca group who became close friends and wanted to supplement their Thursday night knitting sessions with more knitting. They chose a roomy Starbucks near their homes and decided to invite all comers. This tends to be a smaller subset of the Boca group - usually 4 to 6 people. Since the numbers tend to be smaller, most members post on the group's Ravelry board as to whether or not they can make it that week. Most arrive around 9:30A and stay until noon. Sometimes we orchestrate an effort to meet earlier so we can snag the big table - we have an ongoing battle with a lone man who likes to hog the table and insists on keeping all the chairs for his (imaginary) friends - it's actually quite comical.

And that, my friends, is my Stitch n' Bitch Crawl. It was fun - I got to meet some new people, saw some old friends and knit in new places. I would urge every solitary knitter out there to try a group (or many groups). Everyone needs friends and knitting friends are sometimes the best of friends.

Still Waters

2011-03-16T10:53:00.000-04:00

I love pockets. I love pockets in dresses. And I especially love the pockets in this dress that I recently knitted up for myself.

Pattern: Still Light Tunic by Veera Valimaki
available on her website or for download via Ravelry.com.

Yarn: Knit Picks Simply Cotton Sport (100% cotton)
12 skeins (approximately 1968 yards)
colorway: Prussian Blue

Needle Size: US4

This is a top-down garment from Finnish designer Veera Valimaki. I've often admired her designs for their clean lines and classic silhouettes. When I saw this tunic, I jumped. For some reason that I can't explain, I had been wanting to knit a dress for a while.

The pockets are an integral part of the design. I love that they add a vertical element to an otherwise bottom heavy garment.

Modifications:

1. I knitted the sleeves in a smaller diameter to better fit my slimmer biceps. I also added a few inches to the length of the sleeve so that it hit right at the wrist.

2. I knitted 2 extra inches at the hem as I knew from previous experience that this cotton yarn likes to shrink lengthwise.

3. I made a detachable cowl neck. Basically it's a big loop that I made out of 2 skeins of leftover yarn.

How to knit a cowl:

1. CO 500 stitches and join in the round.
2. Knit 2x2 rib for approximately 5 inches lengthwise.
3. Knit stockinette for 2 inches.
4. Bind off and sew in ends.
5. Drape over neck as desired.

I named this garment Still Waters as a play on the pattern name Still Light. The yarn is a deep saturated blue flecked with grays and purples. It's a really lovely color that makes me think of a pool of water on a gray overcast day. I like the feel of the cotton and the way it drapes - I wanted it to be a little roomy and not too clingy.

I love knitting top down garments because it's so easy to ensure the right fit. In the end I got a great looking tunic/dress that's comfortable and easy to wear - kinda like a long cozy sweatshirt. However, tights and boots aren't so easy to wear. I forgot how gravitationally challenged I am in heels.

The price one pays for fashion.

Sweet and Salty

2011-03-10T16:23:00.000-05:00

I love salted caramels, pretzel M&Ms, anything that deftly combines the two great tastes of Sweet and Salty.

Lately, I have been obsessed with kettle corn. Freshly popped corn swathed in a very light coating of buttery caramel and sprinkled with just a little bit of salt. The smell of it makes me swoon. How can something taste so sweet and salty, airy yet so rich all at the same time? It's just delicious.

After a lot of trial and error, I figured out a way to make it at home.

First off, you need a special stovetop popcorn popper. A Whirley Pop is basically an aluminum pot outfitted with a crank that stirs the contents without having to remove the lid. A regular pot with a tight fitted lid may suffice for popping plain old corn since all you need is a few shakes of the contents. But add sugar and butter? - all you get is a hot burnt mess. Maybe like me, you already have too many kitchen contraptions. But this one's worth it. Get rid of that bread machine that makes subpar bread anyway and make way for a Whirley Pop.

Ingredients: have everything at hand before you turn on the stove

2 Tbsp of vegetable oil
1/2 cup of dry kernel popping corn - Orville Redenbacher's works just fine.
1/3 cup of white, granulated sugar
2 Tbsp of butter (optional)
Popcorn salt or any fine grain salt

Other helpful tools:

A large bowl to toss your popped corn
Wooden salad tongs or some other tool to help you toss that hot and sticky corn

Step 1: Turn on the stove to high. Set the Whirley Pop on the stove and quickly place your vegetable oil and a few kernels of corn inside it. Close the lid. This gets the oil to just the right temperature which will be when the first kernel pops. Immediately turn the stove to medium hot.

Step 2: Here's where you have to move fast. Carefully open the lid and dump in the corn, the butter and the sugar. Close the lid and give it a good stir with a few cranks. The sudden insertion of all the ingredients brings the heat down so that neither the butter nor the sugar burns. Instead they both melt and then congeal into that delicious substance we know as caramel. The vegetable oil acts to keep the butter from burning (the oil has a higher smoke point) - you can leave out the butter if you want but don't leave out the vegetable oil.

Step 3: Crank every 30 seconds or so while things start to sizzle. Resist the urge to open the lid - you don't want a faceful of hot oil. Be patient as it takes a few minutes for the sugar to caramelize while the steam in the kernels builds up. When you hear the first pops, keep cranking - more often now. When the contents get downright furious, crank the handle continuously. All that popped corn gets sticky and if you stop cranking, the handle will get hard to turn thus defeating its purpose. You're almost there!

Step 4: When the popping dies down, open the lid and shake the contents out into a large mixing bowl. Wait 1 minute - the makers of the Whirley Pop say it helps make the popcorn crispy. I do it mainly because I always forget to get out the popcorn salt so I have to root around in the cupboard for um, exactly one minute. Toss the popcorn with salt - it may be clumpy at first. I use a pair of wooden salad tongs.

Serve immediately.

A few pointers:

Whatever you don't eat will keep for a day or so in an airtight container. But if your kitchen is humid, the popcorn will get soggy pretty fast. Either eat it right away or seal it up for later.

If you're making another batch, there's no need to wash the pot. But if not, just fill the pot with some hot soapy water and the residual caramel comes right off.

If all this sounds like too much hassle, I understand. Instead, simply invite me over for dinner, I'll bring my Whirley Pop and a good DVD.

Shawl Collar Pullover

2011-03-08T11:42:00.000-05:00

I've always loved big collars. Maybe it's the dramatic effect. I like something unusual framing the face.

Pattern: #23 Shawl Collar Pullover by Adrienne Vittadini
Vogue Knitting Winter 2004/2005

Yarn: Knit Picks Simply Cotton Organic Worsted (100% organic cotton)
6.5 skeins (approx 1066 yards) for a size medium
colorway: Marshmallow

Needle size: US 7

Such a classic sweater design. I just need to add suede elbow patches to feel like I belong on a college campus circa 1950s in some short story by J.D. Salinger. Ah, disaffected youth!

Modifications:

Instead of knitting the collar separately and sewing it on the main body, I picked up stitches after sewing the shoulder seams together. First I picked up 40 stitches across the back of the neck, knitted across in pattern, and then picked up 4 more stitches for each new row.

Here's a closeup of the picked up stitches. There's a little bar along the inside seam for the first stitch picked up on every new row.

But luckily this doesn't show at all on the right side of the work.

When I got to the straight vertical portion of the collar, I picked up all the stitches in one row (3 stitches picked up to every 4 rows of knitting). Collar with all stitches picked up:

My other big modification was to knit the sleeves directly onto the main body again by picking up stitches in a similar manner as the collar. After knitting the cap of the sleeve, I joined all the stitches and knit the rest of each sleeve in the round.

The cotton creates a cozy soft fabric that's perfect for layering. It doesn't keep its shape as well as wool - it stretched out a bit even after one wearing. But it's just enough warmth for a chilly spring morning.

Green Juice

2011-03-02T10:51:00.000-05:00

Recently, I read a few blog posts about kale smoothies. It inspired me to get out my humble little juicer and start making my morning green juice. Granted, green juice may not be for everyone but I enjoy it and it works great for me (soothes my sensitive bowel, boosts my vitamin uptake and helps control my appetite).

Here's my basic recipe:

3 kale leaves
1 cup of sunflower sprouts or wheatgrass
3-4 sprigs of flat leaf parsley
1 cored pear or apple (adjust amount for sweetness)
1 peeled nub of ginger (more than 1/2 inch can get a little spicy)
1/2 peeled cucumber

All these items take a trip through my low-tech hand-cranked juicer (marketed for wheat grass juicing but it can also handle modest amounts of other goodies).

And with a small amount of effort, I get a deep emerald green liquid.

This I pour over ice and sip throughout the morning.

People have a hard time believing me when I say that it's tasty. The fruit provides just enough sweetness and the ginger gives it a little extra kick that I like. And despite it being nearly almost all liquid (most of the fiber gets macerated and tossed) it fills me up for the morning. I have a glass of green juice and some green tea later in the morning and I'll all set until lunch.

If you're interested in trying it out for yourself, the Healthy Juicer is relatively inexpensive, simple to use but does require hand washing. I got it because I didn't want to invest too much money in an electric juicer but now I like it so much that I don't think I need to upgrade anytime soon. Just a few things to keep in mind: use the freshest ingredients you can find. I get what I can from my local farmers market and Whole Foods supplies the rest. Also, never throw the fibrous waste down the garbage disposal - ask me how I know. If you don't have a compost pile, throw it out in the garbage.

There are tons of great Green Juice recipes out there. Martha Stewart has one. And so does Gwyneth Paltrow. Experiment and see what you like.

Stripey Goodale

2011-02-24T11:23:00.000-05:00

My friend Caryn inspired me to make this one. When I saw her starting, it made me want to knit one too. Monkey see, monkey do!

Pattern: Goodale by Cecily Glowick MacDonald
available for purchase via Ravelry.

Yarn: Farmhouse Yarns Bonnie's Bamboo (100% bamboo)
2 skeins in colorway Rose (approx. 400 yards)
2 skeins in colorway Natural (approx. 400 yards)

Needle Size: US 7

Initially I thought I would stripe a wool/silk blend yarn from Manos del Uruguay. But after knitting a few rows, I decided it looked too busy - always a risk with multicolored yarns. Back into the stash for another day.

After playing around in my stash, I settled on this very silky worsted weight bamboo. I had just the right amount but I wasn't sure about the drape of the resulting fabric. However, I loved the color combo so I went with it. The yarn is easy to knit - smooth like you'd expect and soft almost silky. And not at all splitty.

Substituting the bamboo for the recommended wool/cashmere made the finished garment very drapey. (Is drapier a word?) But I think it works.

Most of the sweater is in plain stockinette. The lapels and pockets are created when the front is folded back on itself. Reverse stockinette.

Some modifications:

Instead of the i-cord edging for the lapel, I just relied on the natural tendency for stockinette to curl in on itself and sewed the edges down - kind of like a rolled hem.

Because of the bamboo, I was concerned that the lapels wouldn't stay put so I sewed them down by first basting them into position and then going back with a running stitch that butted up against the hem. Then I just pulled out the basting yarn. Of course, I left plenty of room for the pockets - the best part!

The pockets are a very handy feature. I keep an extra i-cord fastener in mine so I can switch depending on my mood.

A few more modifications:

I added two inches in length for my long torso.

And I did a single crochet edging on the collar. Crochet is inherently less stretchy than knitting so it works great to give knitting some stay-put action. With the bamboo, my collar really needed some reinforcement.

I loved knitting this. The pattern is well written and the design elements add just enough interest. The stripes give it sort of a whimsical quality and the resulting fabric is smooth and easy to wear. Perfect for spring. Although some of us are still deep in hibernation.

Cablework

2011-02-22T10:54:00.000-05:00

After knitting the Yarn Widower's Sweater, I decided that cables are fun. Why not do more?

Pattern: #23 Wrap Cable Jacket by Shiri Mor
from Vogue Knitting Holiday 2009

Yarn: Brooks Farm Four Play (50% wool. 50% silk)
3 skeins (approx 810 yards)
colorway SW #19 Blue

Needle size: US 7

Modifications: Instead of picking up stitches for the edging, I did an applied i-cord. For a good tutorial, see the toes section of this online pattern. This worked well as it gave the garment a nice finished look with considerably less hassle (pick up a gazillion stitches, knit ribbing, bind off, sew down bind off, blahblahblah). Applied i-cord is my new best friend.

When I first saw this pattern in Vogue Knitting, I was intrigued by the construction. The back panel is knitted vertically and then stitches for the side panel are picked up and subsequently knit up horizontally. The sleeves are knitted into the side panels so there's no seaming.

Fun to knit. But a few things to note:

The yarn I used is a beautiful wool/silk blend in a deep rich peacock blue. It's soft and drapey. But it also grew considerably when I blocked it. So the end result is just a wee bit too big for my frame and I keep feeling as though it's going to fall off my shoulders. I'm tempted to throw it in the dryer but... I'm scared. What if it shrinks too much? The thought of it makes my knuckles turn white.

The other thing is button placement. I have resewn the button in various places and for the life of me I cannot keep it from buttoning up wonky.

Now I can appreciate the usefulness of a shawl pin. I just need to go out and get one. But for now I think I'll just keep it as is. A little asymmetry never hurt anyone.

My Favorite Valentines Day/ Yarn Widower Story

2011-02-14T10:26:00.000-05:00

As some of you may already know, my birthday happens to fall on St. Valentine's Day. It's a mixed blessing.

And some of you may also know that the Yarn Widower is a gifted cook. So gifted that you could never have guessed that when we first met, he had never cooked a meal in his life (instant ramen noodles notwithstanding). So as a surprise to me, he decided to make me a Valentine's Day/ Birthday dinner - our first together and he wanted it to be special. After consulting various cookbooks and doing some extensive internet research, he set out to create an ambitious menu:

Medallions of Filet Mignon with a Red Wine Reduction
Creamed Spinach
Polenta Cakes (shaped into hearts)

It was delicious. A truly spectacular meal especially considering that his kitchen was a remodeled closet and he had to purchase pans specifically for this meal (previously he owned a teakettle and that was about it when it came to cookware).

Halfway through the meal, I noticed that the Yarn Widower was tearing up. I asked him what was the matter. He looked up at me, fork midway to his lips, and said, "It's just....so good. I can't believe I made this myself."

And that, my friends, sums it all up.

Happy Valentine's Day. Hope today and everyday is filled with love (and yarn).

Duck Booties

2011-02-08T09:10:00.000-05:00

Duck booties are so versatile.

Hello, Teagan 2 months old!

"These are the cutest booties I have ever seen in my whole life." - Teagan's Mom

I agree.

My Crazy Hands

2011-02-01T10:25:00.000-05:00

I have weird-looking hands. See?

My pinky and ring fingers are disproportionately short for my hand. Not only that but the proximal phalanges (the bones that make up the palm of the hand) are significantly truncated so that it almost looks as though my pinkies are trying to become vestigial. Freaky, huh? I once asked an embryologist about my hands and she said something must have gone wrong in the formation of my limb buds. Freakier and freakier.

In spite of their aesthetic challenges, my hands are still surprisingly functional. They can type, knit, crochet, play videogames, all the good stuff. They can tie really strong surgical knots which is downright useful. I even considered becoming a hand surgeon for about two weeks in a former life. The only thing my hands have not been able to do is play musical instruments but that has more to do with a profound lack of any natural talent in that arena.

Another major drawback: gloves don't fit. Until now.

Pattern: Knotty Gloves by Julia Mueller
Available as a free download on Ravelry. Thanks, Julia!

Yarn: Madeline Tosh Sock (100% merino) 2/3 skein (approx 300 yards)
Colorway: Lichen

Needle: US 1

Modifications:

1) Left off the tips so I could type in them. Did a half inch of ribbing at the tips.

2) Customized them to fit my freaky hands. I started with my pinky finger and worked my way up the palm from there. I kept trying them on as I went to make sure they fit.

The yarn is so pretty. Green interspersed with violet. It works nicely with the cabling detail on the wrist. I flubbed the cables a bit but que so-what so-what. They're still pretty and functional.

You know who else is pretty and functional? The Yarn Widower. He helped me take these photos. Here is my favorite one.

Jack Attacks!

2011-01-26T10:27:00.000-05:00

Recently, I received some photographs of a finished garment on its intended recipient. I present to you: Jack.

He's wearing a Wonderful Wallaby (the same design that I used for his cousin's sweater).

Pattern: Wonderful Wallaby by Carol Anderson
A pattern booklet available at LYS nationwide

Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease (50% cotton, 50% acrylic) in colorway Lake
3 skeins (approx 621 yards)

Needle Size: US9

Modifications: seed stitch edging on hem and placket

Fun fact: Jack is named after Jack Bauer, Keifer Sutherland's much beleaguered badass character from 24.

http://shirtoid.com/11062/i-love-jack-bauer/

Jack is two (give or take a couple of months). Knowing that these sweaters run small, I made him a size 8 hoping that he could get some wear out of it. It's a wee bit big in these photos but I'm sure it'll fit him perfectly for about two weeks sometime in the near future.

I used a cotton/acrylic blend yarn that's machine washable/dryable. I am told this is key for kidwear. I am also told that this yarn has been wearing reasonably well which is what every knitter wants to hear. It was a joy to knit with - soft and squishy and remarkably elastic for a cotton blend. I would definitely recommend it especially for this garment.

My name is Jack and today is the longest day of my life...

TO DO:
1) Escape from prison-like crib.
2) Torture the dog for more intel.
3) Use intel to turn mommy on daddy.
4) Save America.

Ta Da! Yarn Widower Gets His Sweater

2011-01-24T10:25:00.000-05:00

It's done. 14 years in the making but it's finally done.

It's a beautiful sweater too. The cables are lovely and the fit is just right. I ended up going with the cap sleeves because really, how often do you walk around with your arms raised up. The yarn is a rustic tweedy green, a little scratchy for my taste (I was careful to tease out all the bits of twigs and burrs while knitting) but it fits the manliness of the sweater design quite well.

Anyway, the Yarn Widower likes it. Now he can hold his own with the dog.

Christmas gift - Part 3 The Saga Continues

2011-01-12T12:40:00.000-05:00

My Yarn Widower wears a size medium. So I cast on the suggested number of stitches and knit about 5 inches of the back before thinking, "Woah, this may be a bit too large." True, it was designed to be an oversized pullover to be worn as an outer layer. The picture of the model suggested as much. But still, it seemed rather excessive. When I held it up to the Yarn Widower, it nearly wrapped around his waist.

OK - perhaps my gauge may have been a wee bit off - I made the mistake of checking my gauge over ribbing instead of the stockinette that the pattern suggests. When looking at the schematic, the width of the back hem was supposed to be 63.5cm. I was getting 76 cm. Oops.

After some deliberation (and a rather blunt intervention by the wise and knowledgeable Kerrilyn "Are you knitting a throw?"), I knew that I had to start over. I liked the fabric that I got with the US 10.5 needles and I didn't want to knit any tighter than that. So I fudged things a bit as I am wont to do.

Modifications:

1. I cast on 96 stitches and did not do the increases after the ribbing. I did this because it gave me a sleeker silhouette and also made figuring out the ribbing much easier. The ribbing is designed to look as though the cables are flowing into it. Resulting width was 55 cm/22 inches.

2. I turned the midclavicular zigzags into just plain stockinette. I wanted to highlight the cables and the zigzags just looked too busy to me. Also since I needed to lose 12 stitches to get my desired width, I simply took these stitches out of the zigzag panels

3. I knit the sleeves in the round. I considered knitting the body in the round but in the end decided to knit the front and the back separately and seam them up before I picked up stitches for the sleeves. Like the body, I turned the zigzag panels into plain stockinette and decreased by 5 stitches per panel.

Wow, kudos to you if you're still with me. That's a lot of prose without any pictures. So here are some pictures (and modeled too):

I performed an experiment on the sleeves. The one on the Yarn Widower's right is a straight sleeve with no cap. In other words, the top of the sleeve is one straight line. This is how the pattern is written but I didn't like the bunching in the armpit.

The sleeve on the Yarn Widower's left has a rounded shoulder cap. I did this by picking up the central 10 stitches, knitting a row and then picking up a few more stitches on the end of each subsequent row until I had traveled the circumference of the sleeve and was ready to join. The end result - a smoother line at the armpit.

The one drawback being that the top of the shoulder draws up slightly when the arms are raised.

Which one did I choose? Find out in the next installment...

Christmas gift - Part 2

2011-01-05T15:46:00.000-05:00

To recap: back in 1997 I bought the Yarn Widower some wool. He's been bugging me about that wool for the last 3 years now, ever since I picked up the needles again and started this blog. By now we have firmly established that he does not know how to knit and therefore it is up to me to turn that nice wool yarn into a nice wool sweater. Well, here it is 2011 and damn it, if I'm not going to knit him a wool sweater.

After a lengthy and thorough search, here is the pattern I selected.

Pattern: Jack by Kim Hargreaves
Rowan The Tweed Collection (out of print)

I was worried about the darkness of the yarn and whether or not the cables would be visible so I did a test swatch.

So far, so good. I presented this all the Yarn Widower who gave it the thumbs up. Remarkable considering how many options he had previously rejected. My Yarn Widower is particularly picky in his sartorial choices.

Now to cast on.

Christmas gift for the Yarn Widower - Part 1

2011-01-03T13:12:00.000-05:00

I'm going to let you in on a little secret: the Yarn Widower, well, he knows how to knit. When we first met, I was just picking up knitting again and to show me how cool he was and how much we had in common, he said, "My nan taught me how." And lo and behold, he knit up a little scarf (where is that thing?) and I was duly impressed.

So impressed that I thought I would give him a sweater's worth of yarn for Christmas. 14 hanks of Rowan Chunky Tweed in a dark rich forest green. Along with a pattern book from Kim Hargreaves - Rowan: The Tweed Collection. Both the yarn and the book have since been discontinued as this was over a decade ago. But at the time, it was our first Christmas together and I wanted to give him something special (but not too special since we had only known each other a few months). And since it was yarn and not a knitted sweater, I was clearly exempt from the Boyfriend Curse (she who dares to knit her boyfriend a sweater dooms the relationship forever). When he opened my gift to him, I was fairly aglow with anticipation. He lit up mildly and was polite. "Oh, look. Yarn. How nice."

Thankfully, our relationship endured. Even if the yarn languished in storage for many many years. Actually, after that initial interest in knitting (feigned in his case; genuine in mine), we both put down the needles. Ten years later when my life had finally slowed down, I felt a very strong urge to pick up knitting again and have at it.

And since then, the Yarn Widower has often complained that I have made many sweaters but none for him. "You can knit your own sweater," I say. "You have everything you need and you already know how."

Yarn Widower recoils and acts horrified, "I do NOT know how to knit! That's my story and I'm sticking to it. By the way, I would like cables but not too many cables and a high neck but not a turtleneck. Also, I would like you to use that nice wool you bought for me although I don't know why you bought me yarn since I don't know how to knit."

Sheesh.

Gifts from Santa

2010-12-27T11:01:00.000-05:00

Some predicted I would receive coal this holiday season...

I like coal. It's useful (for heating, grilling and artistic endeavors just to list a few). And when it's not acting utilitarian, it can be quite pretty.

Oh well. Not this year.

I asked for a ukulele.

In addition, I got some comic books

A gift certificate for yarn, and a Namaste circular needle organizer. Thanks, Santa!

It was Bennan's first Christmas with us. He got lots of new toys...

Which he promptly mauled and eviscerated.

Happy holidays, everyone!

Palm Beach Gardens Tee

2010-12-20T10:46:00.000-05:00

Earlier this year, I made a gift for one lovely little girl named Caden Violet. I chose a soft lilac colored yarn to highlight her middle name.

Pattern: Spring Garden Tee by Alana Dakos

Yarn: Rowan Calmer (75% cotton; 25% acrylic)
2 skeins (approx 350 yards) for 2 yr old size
colorway: Lucky

Needles: US 7

My only modification was to put a little picot edge around the whole thing. I was hoping for some modeled pictures but I think she may have already outgrown it. Kids grow so fast!

For Erin (Caden's mom), I made her a complementary version. Here are some pictures of me modeling it.

Pattern: Spring Garden Tee for Adults by Alana Dakos

Yarn: Knit Picks Simply Cotton Sport (100% cotton)

4.5 skeins (approx 738 yards)

in colorway Duchess Heather

Needle size: US4

As you may recall, I love this yarn. It's soft, knits up beautifully and comes in a bunch of beautiful colors. Instead of a picot edge, I did two rows of single crochet on the neckline and bottom hem. One row for the sleeves. I liked how it all turned out and hopefully Erin won't grow out of it anytime soon.

Bennan, it's Cold Outside!

2010-12-14T10:22:00.000-05:00

Brrr. So says the dog.

Pattern: Francesca and Sharkey by Lion Brand Yarn

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease (80% acrylic; 20% wool)

Colorway: Forest Green Heather

1/2 skein or approx 100 yards

Needle Size: US9

Here's what I like about this sweater:

1. It's really easy to put on. No having to fuss with forcing his legs into "sleeves". I just slide it on over his head and button up the sides.

2. Plenty of clearance for the pee apparatus. Not a very important consideration for all the lady dogs out there but for boy dogs, you can't have anything hanging down too far on the belly. Don't want anything interfering with the yellow arc.

Here's what Bennan likes about the sweater:

1. It's stylin'.

2. And the ladies like it.

Actually, he seems to like wearing it and will even stand still when I put it on him. Last night, he wore it to bed.

I think I'll have to make him another one...

Ruffle Tank

2010-12-06T10:55:00.000-05:00

I've been knitting furiously. I blame it on this yarn - an amazingly soft cotton that comes in these rich saturated colors. And the best thing about it as that it's sport/fingering weight which is great for the stuff I feel like making these days. Here's an example:

Pattern: Layered Ruffle Sweater by Kristina McGowan
from her book Modern Top-Down Knitting

Yarn: Knit Picks Simply Cotton Sport in Duchess Heather (100% cotton)
6 skeins or approx 950 yards for a size medium

Needle: US 4

The pattern is originally for a thicker yarn with a gauge of 5.5 stitches per inch. When I swatched with the Simply Cotton I got a gauge of 6.25 stitches per inch. Since the garment is knitted top down, I figured I would cast on for the 3XL and keep trying it on to ensure a decent fit.

Here's my thinking (skip this part if knitting math bores you): The original cast on for a size Medium calls for 94 stitches that results in about 17 inches across the back at the shoulders. Makes sense: 94 stitches divided by 5.5 stitches/inch gives you 17 inches, right? So if I wanted to get 17 inches with my new gauge, I had to cast on 106 stitches (17 inches x 6.25 stitches/inch gives me 106 stitches). Looking at the cast on instructions for the different sizes, I saw that the 3XL at 102 stitches came closest to 106 stitches. So that's how I decided to follow the instructions for the 3XL. I took a leap of faith and cast on 102 stitches. And lo and behold, it worked out just right at 16 3/4 inches. Definitely not an exact science but good enough for me.

And that, I think, is the beauty of top-down garments. You can try it on and modify as you go depending on the fit. Too loose? Rip back and decrease some more. You can't do that with garments knit flat and then seamed together. By the time you've discovered that the neck is too tight, it's too late to add stitches without picking apart the seam and reknitting the whole darn thing.

Anyway, back to this particular garment. I didn't really have to modify the pattern except to leave out 8 stitches across the front neck as I am modestly endowed in that area. Which brings me to the ruffles - strategically placed to give the illusion of volume. Very flattering to someone like me - probably wouldn't work out so well for the bustier ladies out there.

I liked knitting it but I like wearing it even more. It fits me just fine and I love the color. More important, I love the feel of the resulting fabric. It's not too thin, not too thick. It's not at all scratchy and because it's cotton, it's breathable and not too warm. Perfect for what passes as Autumn here in South Florida.

Subtropical Eastlake

2010-11-22T10:28:00.000-05:00

Pattern: Eastlake by Norah Gaughan

from Berroco: Norah Gaughan Vol.3

Yarn: Prima Pima Cotton by Robin Turner Gourmet Fibers

100% cotton/ DK (11 wpi)

5 skeins (1100 yards) in Green

Needle size: US5

My fascination with and adoration of one Ms. Norah Gaughan continues. I love her visual aesthetic and design. She totally rocks. OK, enough with the gushing...

Living in a subtropical climate, I'm always on the lookout for cotton yarns. When I saw this deep emerald green in 100% cotton, I knew I'd found the perfect warm weather match for this sweater (originally designed for a merino/silk blend).

Before starting on the actual garment, I knit a couple rows of the leaf pattern. I usually like to do this because it helps me learn/understand the pattern and in this case chart it for myself. It also helps me make any modifications without the heartbreak of ripping out entire rows of knitting.

Leaf panel mods:

substituted M1p for yo (less holey)
substituted k3tog for dec 2 (just liked the way this looks better)
did not continue with the k1tbl for the leaf tips (after the k3tog)

Since I wanted to be able to wear the sweater commando if I so chose, I left out the eyelets across the chest and back. And just to be consistent, I left them off the sleeves as well.

Rear view

The concern with substituting denser cotton for lofty wool is that the finished garments tend to be heavy and thus grow with wear. Cotton sweaters can get downright droopy. But the design elements in this sweater are such that they don't contribute to the weight of the sweater (unlike cables for instance) and even after a full day's wear, I'm happy to say that it did not grow in length. In fact, these pictures were taken after wearing the garment for a full day.

As an added note, I think it helps that this is a seamed sweater as opposed to being knit in the round top down. With cottons, I find that seams are ideal places to hide ends since cotton can't be spliced as invisibly as wool. Plus shoulder seams contribute to a garments' strength in this gravity-susceptible area. I know many out there hate seaming but it definitely has its place in knitted garments depending on what you're after.

Personally, I just wish there was a magical way to weave in ends. I don't know anyone who likes doing that.

Linen Skirt

2010-11-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

Pattern: Ingrid by Trudy Van Stralen

size medium

Yarn: Louet Euroflax Sport (100% wet-spun linen)

Black - approx 4.5 skeins

Needle: US 2 for lace

US 4 for body

Knitting with linen is all about delayed gratification. The texture can be quite rough on the fingers and there is absolutely no give. It helps to knit at a tight gauge and have other projects to serve as breaks - maybe a nice squishy merino scarf. But for skirts, linen provides such a beautiful drape that in the end, it's well worth it.

I made plenty of modifications. My practice swatch of the lace ruffle was way too loose at the suggested gauge. So I went down a few needle sizes until I was happy with how it looked. Since I was knitting a size medium for the body, I cast on for a size large in the hem.

The original pattern calls for an asymmetrical hem which I switched to a mermaid hem (a wee bit longer in the back). I did this by changing the placement of the short rows but had I thought ahead, I would have changed the repeats of the lace hem so that the front of the hem is perfectly straight. Instead it dips down a bit in the front where the asymmetry is supposed to be. Not that noticeable so I didn't fret too much about it.

A little bit longer over my right knee. Bennan assures me that he didn't notice anything until I pointed it out to him. Good dog.

The one down side about this skirt is that it does require a slip. Boo. For me, linen's main asset is its superior breathability. Kind of defeats the purpose if I have to wear a nylon slip underneath it.

Maybe you remember there being some drama about the casting on of this skirt. Can you find the twisted cast on?

Duck Sock Pictures

2010-11-01T09:24:00.000-04:00

Maybe you remember these?

Since then I've knit a couple more pairs to give away to some lucky babes. Check out this little guy - Joey!

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking the same thing I'm thinking: squeeee!

Crochet

2010-10-26T12:17:00.000-04:00

As a knitter, I have acquired a small collection of crochet hooks. Not that I actually crocheted with them. But they're indispensable for certain cast-ons and fixing ladders and the like. I always admired other people's crochet (all that deliriously cute amigurumi!) but felt that I had so much to learn in knitting (this is still true).

One day when I was recovering from the flu, I had little energy for anything too physically taxing. My body ached but my mind was tired of TV, books and my current knitting projects (rare but has been known to happen) so I finally sat down and attempted to decode the intricacies of the one needle loop-de-loop.

Susan Bates Pamphlet circa 1970 - still relevant today

After a few yarn messes and a couple of choice curse words, I think I got the hang of it.

My practice swatches.

And thus I decided to embark on my first crochet project: a bookmark

Pattern: Fan Bookmark by Crochetroo

Yarn: Royale Classic Crochet Thread

Crochet hook: 2.0 mm

After I puzzled out the crochet lingo and realized that I was actually supposed to crochet inside the ring and not in a specific loop of the initial chain, I was amazed to see something take shape. A little row of delicate Queen Anne's lace blossoms stacked up on one another.

bonus points if you recognize the text

Was it hard? Yes, it was hard for this crochet neophyte and by the end of the project, my fingers and wrists ached from the unfamiliar motions. But it was satisfying to have a finished product and to know that I had learned something new.

This got me thinking: there's always a small part of me that balks at the unknown and unfamiliar, no matter how exciting or potentially rewarding it may seem. What if I appear foolish, what if I get totally lost, what if I just plain suck. But when I push those doubts aside and manage to get the hell out of my own way, it's always a valuable experience, no matter the outcome. I've been thinking a lot about this fear of newness - learning how to crochet is just a small example.

Stitch Markers

2010-10-13T05:17:00.000-04:00

Recently, my friend Caryn showed me how to make stitch markers.

I got a little obsessed and made a lot.

They're rather addictive.

I even made some as gifts. These are for my buddy Gwen (bugheart) in honor of her cats Spot and Bear.

Word on the street is that she likes them. Hopefully Spot and Bear approve too.

Nashville

2010-10-09T10:34:00.000-04:00

In Nashville, we went to the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium (Opryland was closed for renovations due to flooding). A few of the acts were worth the price of admission but overall, it was kind of a big yawn. I guess I was expecting something more from an American institution.

Jamie O'Neal

It was kind of like going to church. Hard wooden pews and all.

But one of the highlights of our trip was the Americana Music Festival. We were lucky enough to attend the Music City Roots at the Loveless Cafe (really good biscuits too) to see some fine musicians play.

Chuck Mead and friends

Madison Violet - they just about stole the show

Corb Lund - cowboy from Canada

The headliners: The Steeldrivers

Check out the Steeldrivers. It don't get much better'en some Good Corn Liquor.

Memphis

2010-10-08T09:10:00.000-04:00

The rest of our time in Tennessee was split between Memphis and Nashville where we ate BBQ and listened to music. In Memphis, we caught some great live acts at the Memphis Music and Heritage Festival.

We visited Beale Street.

and Graceland (of course) to pay homage to the King.

All roads lead to yarn

2010-10-07T10:28:00.000-04:00

I was good. I limited myself to one yarn shop on this trip.

Smoky Mountain Spinnery in Gatlinburg, TN is a quaint shop in a quaint town. It's crammed full with all sorts of fibery type stuff suited for spinners, weavers and knitters alike.

It's a cheerful, well-lit space with a wide selection of yarn for the knitters,

roving for the spinners,

and looms for the weavers.

On the day I visited, the proprietor was out of town for a family event and the owner of the fly fishing shop next door let me in so I could poke around. (If you go, the Spinnery and the Angler share the second floor of a building located a few minutes' drive from the main drag in Gatlinburg. There's plenty of parking which can be at a premium in this touristy town).

A very nice place to while away an afternoon.

Country Road...

2010-10-01T10:37:00.000-04:00

I consider myself a Southern girl at heart. After all, I grew up south of the Mason-Dixon line and there's nothing I like better than bacon and grits for breakfast unless it's smoky barbecued ribs for dinner. Can't get much more Southern than that. Mmmmm, ribs.

Yarn Widower rolls his eyes at this. Bethesda, Maryland is hardly considered the South. So then I have to point out that I was born in SOUTH Korea and that trumps his South Jersey provenance any day. And while you're puzzling that one out, let me tell you about our trip to Tennessee.

First we spent a week in the Smoky Mountains. We rented a cabin built into a hillside overlooking the mountains. It was quite lovely.

We watched the sun rise every morning....

and the boys serenaded the mountains every evening.

Bennan joined us on a hike.

Up to his usual antics

Here he discovers that mountain streams are a heck of a lot colder than South Florida beaches.

More to come....
spoiler alert: there's yarn in them hills!

Destination Vacation

2010-08-27T07:57:00.000-04:00

Yarn Widower, Bennan and I are going on a road trip. This got me thinking about packing for trips. It seems to me that I always bring too much and I still forget the crucial thing that I meant to bring but forgot in the last minute shuffle of leaving the house. Binoculars, hiking poles, chargers for various electronic equipment...

I usually bring too many articles of clothing. I think about every possible situation and soon the pile gets a wee bit large. My friend Gwen does not have this problem. She selects a color theme and carefully maps out her vacation wardrobe. It's amazing to see.

courtesy of bugheart.blogspot.com

Not only is Gwen a very talented knitter/photographer/artist friend but she has an extensive and truly envy-worthy wardrobe. I especially admire her dresses. I also love that she builds in contingency plans - life can be somewhat unpredictable.

This is Bennan's first Road Trip. We did a trial run a few weeks back when we went to visit some of Yarn Widower's relations in Central Florida. I'm happy to say that he did great. He loves riding in the car and new places excite him to no end. So when Yarn Widower decided he sorely needed a vacation, we made the necessary arrangements to bring Bennan along. Although I do have to say that for someone who only requires neckwear, he's got an awful lot of stuff to pack.

As for me, I face the age-old dilemma of what to wear by stuffing whatever's clean into a bag and hope for the best. But I think of Gwen's careful planning - next time, for sure, I am going to pick a color scheme.

Sick

2010-08-23T10:04:00.000-04:00

I've been sick. Not sick in the head (although I've been that too) but I mean physically ill. I won't go into too much detail here except to say that it's really weird to have shaking chills in August in Florida when the heat index is well over 100.

The good news is that I got to put my woolen knits to good use. Socks, scarves, sweaters - knitting saves the day.

I'm feeling much better now, thanks.

Knitting - there is no cure

2010-08-04T12:56:00.000-04:00

I have been working on a black linen skirt. And like many of my projects, it both delights and maddens me.

First off, I cast on 508 stitches for the hem. That's a lot of stitches. And after knitting the second row, I realized that somehow I'd miscounted and I was about 10 stitches short. Frog cast on #1. After triple checking the number of my stitches, I was on my merry way. I completed about 2 inches before I realized that I didn't like the looseness of the lace section. My bad for neglecting to gauge swatch the lace. Frog cast on #2. I went down a few needle sizes, did a rudimentary gauge swatch and finally finally got started on the skirt.

And then I went to Knit Knite. I had cast on the correct number of stitches with the needle size that best fit my needs. Heck, I had even jerry-rigged two circular needles so that I could knit in the round without having to scrunch all the stitches onto one knitting cable. Third time's the charm. I was all set. Except I kept getting nervous looks from K-Ro and Carolyn. After my third row, I put down the knitting and asked them what was bothering them. "I'm afraid for you," said K-Ro. "Are you sure you didn't twist your stitches before joining?" Carolyn concurred, "Are you sure you didn't just knit a moebius?" I was confident and sure. But they still seemed dubious.

"Here, I'll show you." So I laid out the knitting, all 508 stitches that I had triple checked and as I got to the join, I realized that I had indeed twisted the stitches. (For my non-knitting friends, this is an incurable tragedy. One that can only be fixed by pulling out the stitches and starting over.) I gasped my disbelief. No, can't be, check again. But it was true. I had twisted my cast on stitches when I joined to knit in the round. All of a sudden, I felt very very tired. Frog #3 seemed imminent. I sucked mournfully on my soy chai.

If I had to frog this thing and start all over again, it was simply not going to happen. I was going to have to make do. So I twisted the stitches to line them up properly and carried on as though nothing had happened. Since I had only three rows going, it was not that noticeable anyway. Plus, I could always point to the hem and say, "this is where K-Ro pointed out that I had fucked up big time."

red circle = twist to untwist

See? Barely noticeable. Usually mistakes in my knitting bother me to no end. But not this time. This was one mistake that I could live with.

A few days later, I had completed the lace hem and decided to block it before I had to gather it.

There was one scary moment when it looked like the stitches were twisted - the ramifications of which I will not go into here. But no, as I smoothed it all out, it was indeed untwisted and laid flat. K-Ro and Carolyn had saved my ass because had I blithely continued with the twisted cast on stitches, I would have only realized it now, having finished the lace hem. And no amount of finangling would have saved it then.

It's good to knit with friends. Especially the ones that doubt and question you (but in a nice way and only when you really need it). Thank you, K-Ro and Carolyn!

Free Pattern! (that is, until August 16th)

2010-07-28T07:59:00.000-04:00

I love free patterns. When I saw this one, I knew I had to share. Okmin Park's Every Way Wrap from Interweave Knits Fall 2009 is now available for free download until August 16 as part of an online knitalong.

http://www.interweaveknits.com/galleries/bonus/fall-2009/every-way-wrap.asp

It makes a beautiful finished project and is perfect for gift- knitting. Maybe you remember I made one this past winter for Mrs. Truong. I highly recommend this pattern for anyone who wants to try reversible cabling. Click here for more pictures of this lovely garment. If you are using the pattern from the magazine, click here for the corrected chart symbols. Although after briefly scanning the free pdf, it looks like they corrected this.

So go ahead, get yer free copy while it lasts!

Green Markets

2010-07-23T12:26:00.000-04:00

This past winter, Yarn Widower discovered the beloved Floridian holiday tradition of taunting our snowbound Northern friends. Whenever he saw that there was yet another snowstorm preparing to dump onto the Northeast, he would call up his brother-in-law and complain obnoxiously that it was so cold here that he was forced to wear a light jacket outside. "I can't believe it! It's 65 degrees. I'm freezing!"

My first spring in Florida, I gaily planted herbs and veggies only to watch them wither in the unforgiving heat of Florida's warmer months. I learned the hard way that the growing season here is backwards. Unlike the North, it starts in October when the nights finally start to cool off and lasts until early April when everyone is chased back indoors into air conditioning. Of course this makes perfect sense. Why else do the snowbirds migrate here but for the balmy winters?

It's July now. It's hot here (as it is in many parts of the country). Iced tea, beach trips and juicy slabs of cold watermelon. Yeah, we got all that. But here's what we don't have right now that I really really miss about Northern summers - Farmer's Markets. Here, they're all closed for the summer. It's the off season. I have to make do with fruit from California and pictures of the West Palm Beach Green Market I took back in January.

A happy customer

My favorite veggie stand Stephens Produce

Malabrigo Monkeys

2010-07-07T17:47:00.000-04:00

In the knitting world, there are some patterns that every self-respecting knitter knows by name: Clapotis, Fetching, Koolhaas, Swallowtail, etc.

Cookie A's sock pattern Monkey definitely falls into this category. There are no monkeys to be found anywhere on these socks. Apparently, they are so named because the designer was so obsessed that she wrote down the pattern just to get the monkey off her back. Or something like that.

Pattern: Los Monos Locos by Jennifer O'Sullivan
an offshoot of the original pattern (think of fan fiction) that revises the sock to be knit toe up. Crazy!

Yarn: Malabrigo Sock (100% merino)
Colorway: Ochre
440 yards/skein (I used almost the entire skein for these mid-calf length socks)

Needles: US 1
I originally started with US2's but I wanted a tighter than normal gauge to ensure that these would wear well.

First off, I love this yarn. It knits so beautifully. Soft yet sturdy. And the color is the most gorgeous earthy yellow. I need more of it. And yes, the pattern is obsession-worthy. Once I had memorized the lace pattern, I found it intoxicating and hard to put down.

The heel construction was interesting. There's short rows but no need to pick up stitches. I've always thought short rows were kind of magical in a heel. Not having to pick up stitches, that's earth-shattering. Woo-hoo!

But my favorite thing about the heel is the slipped stitch pattern called "Eye of Partridge." It's pretty.

Eye of Partridge:

Row 1: *sl 1, k1*, repeat
Row 2: knit all stitches if knitting in the round, purl if knitting back and forth
Row 3:* k1, sl 1*, repeat
Row 4: knit all stitches if knitting in the round, purl if knitting back and forth

Initially, I had some problems with it - there was a lot of ripping back because I kept getting the rows mixed up. It's hard to tell visually whether or not I was supposed to slip the first stitch or knit it. So I linked two of my stitch markers together (orange meant slip the first stitch of the row and green meant knit the first stitch) and just toggled the stitch markers when I slipped it for the all knit row.

Thus ends my little sock knitting adventure. Three socks in June, spilled over a bit into July. Now it's Christmas in July. Except I don't like to knit Christmas gifts - too much stress for a holiday I don't really celebrate anyway. So I'll just knit birthday gifts instead... Besides, Yarn Widower's been asking for a pair of socks.

Sideways Socks

2010-06-24T15:25:00.000-04:00

Traditionally socks are knit in a tube either from the cuff down or toe up. Some people were clever enough to turn tradition on its head and figure out how to knit a sock from side to side; i.e. vertical striping on socks. Intriguing. Since this is sock month, I thought I would challenge myself by trying something new (to me).

Pattern: Sidewinders: a Perpensockular Pattern available for free on NonaKnits.

Yarn: Twinkle Toes by Chameleon Colorworks
50% Merino, 50% Tencel
1 skein (approx 320 yards) in colorway Ophelia

Needle size: US 2

The pattern is available as a sequence of blog entries complete with photos and bonus motivational pep talks. It's comprehensive and well written (thanks, Nona!). I would suggest copy/pasting into a word processing document to make printing a heck of a lot easier. Unless you like knitting in front of a computer.

I usually don't bother doing a gauge swatch for socks since I can just try'em on as I go and modify as needed (most sock patterns come in a limited range of sizes anyway so modifications are usually needed for a customized fit). But this sock comes in 12! sizes and is knit in one piece flat. And then grafted together in the back like a corset for your calves/ankles/feet. So in this case, gauge does matter.

RS view: cuff is to the left/ toes to the right

Actually, the whole thing kind of reminds me of a flying squirrel.

WS view: a flying squirrel with a hoodie

The hoodie is where the toes go.

Grafting's a pain in the ass. When done properly, it can be like knitting magic (no seam). When done improperly, it just looks like a hot mess. Trouble is, that it gets so rhythmic (knit off, purl on, purl off, knit on) that I lose track of where I am. Apparently, there is a version of these socks that decreases the amount of grafting - maybe I'll have to try that at a later date.

Knitting Wimp Grows Up

2010-06-22T18:23:00.000-04:00

I fear color knitting. Intarsia, fair-isle - even the terms are kind of intimidating. Pretty but scary. shudder

So I've been kind of putting off the whole color knitting thing. Later, I promise. Well, it turns out that later has finally arrived. It's time. Deep breath.

My first foray in fair-isle. Socks!

Pattern: Four Stitch Reticulated Patterns by Charlene Schurch, pattern 5 from her book Sensational Knitted Socks

Yarn: Creatively Dyed Sock Yarn (2/3 skein)
I got this as a destash so I'm not sure of the colorway; it's the magenta/pink/yellow variegated yarn
Knit Picks Risata in colorway Grass (2 skeins)

Needle size: US 2

I learned:

1. Loosen up on the tension. I'm a "tight" knitter which usually works out just fine; I know I have to go up a needle size. But with fair-isle, tension matters because if I pulled too tight, then the floats on the wrong side of the knitting were too short thus resulting in unsightly puckering.

Floats are those longish lengths of yarn that you carry along with the main yarn

2. Fair-isle is not very stretchy. Again, those floats. I discovered this when I switched from the ribbed cuff to the fair-isle pattern. So I added a little calf-shaping to my socks.

3. Fair-isle is not that hard. It's a great way to showcase variegated yarns.

After knitting the first sock, I realized that I had goofed on the sole pattern. So I ended up with two different soles - who's going to see?

Well, besides you...

Beautiful Hands

2010-06-15T06:34:00.000-04:00

and some feet

Knitting in Public

2010-06-14T15:51:00.000-04:00

Apparently knitting is still considered a subversive art form in that some people find public knitting a notable event. There's even a day devoted to this. World-Wide Knit in Public Day.

This weekend, a gaggle (pride, herd, murder?) of knitters congregated in the Boca Towne Center. Sticks in air, yarn in hand, we were prepared to bring knitting awareness to the unwashed masses. We're here and we're...handy with needles and yarn!

Knitters in the Wild

The Sock Guru made an appearance

Jan concentrating

Rebecca, Faith and Faith's mom

Helen

Caryn

Dina and Carolyn

The Chix with Stix drove down from the Treasure Coast
Notice the matching T-shirts

Mary, Michelle, Pam and Winnie

Rebecca

Pam showing us that knitting doesn't have to be a sedentary sport - free-range knitting!

Did the public take notice?

Caryn talking to an inquisitive boy and his dad

This dude clearly just wanted to sit next to Kerrilyn - who doesn't?

I was a little late (alright, I got waylaid at Anthropologie) so I missed the encounter with the mall police. They'd never heard of World-Wide Knit in Public Day and were quite suspicious at first. We almost got shut down by the fuzz (mall cops on Segways, no less)! But after a little explanation, all was well.

Happy Knit in Public Week - go ahead, kiss a knitter!

Gratuitous Puppy Photos

2010-06-09T13:01:00.000-04:00

Bennan is now entering his 13th month of life. He's full grown but still a puppy on the inside. And a devilish one at that. He's clever and mischievous, full of fight and canine attitude. Secure in the knowledge that he's wormed his way into our hearts, he's now testing the limits. He can be an absolute delight. Lately though he's more monster.

But he's our delightful monster. No other creature inspires in me such fierce exasperation and aching affection. I imagine most parents of young children know what I mean. One moment he is tearing around shredding my unfinished crossword puzzles. The next minute he looks like this:

Overheard at the dog park: "Honey, God makes them cute so you don't kill them when they're bad."

What, me worry?

Chewy and Bennan

2010-06-08T17:39:00.000-04:00

Chewy's visiting from next door. It's turned out to be a blessing since Bennan behaves a bit better with her around. I think he fears and respects her, as well he should. Despite this, Bennan likes to pester her to try to get her to play. Sometimes she humors him.

First Bennan puppy bows.

Then Chewy.

Let the shenanigans begin.

Bitch, I will cut you!

Have I shown you my meerkat impression?

Down for the count.

But wait...

Never mind. You win.

Sore loser demands a rematch right away.

Maybe after a nice nap.

June is SOCK month

2010-06-04T12:20:00.000-04:00

Kerrilyn, the Sock Guru has spoken. So to kick things off, I present a pair of socks I made in May. They're a birthday gift for my pal John (maybe someday he'll even model them for me). Right now it's too darn hot to be wearing socks.*

Pattern: Boot Socks by the KnitPicks Design Team (free!)

Yarn: KnitPicks Swish Worsted (100% superwash merino; 110 yards per ball)
1 ball in Truffle
2 balls in Coast Grey

Needles: US 6

This is a manly sock. Thick yarn, thick needles and good solid man colors. Very straightforward. The perfect sock on which to learn a new technique. Both socks were knit at the same time on two circular needles. The pattern spells it all out for you and I'd certainly recommend it to anyone who wanted to try two-at-a-time sock knitting. A nice trick to have in one's knitting arsenal.

*Despite the muggy heat, John tells me he gets almost daily use out of them - while watching TV, he likes to put his feet up on the coffee table. His wife Pat objects but will allow this little breach of etiquette as long as he is wearing these socks. Crisis averted. Marital strife defused. You're welcome, John.

Next up: Fair-Isle Socks! Stay tuned...

Audiobook Recomendations

2010-05-26T14:11:00.000-04:00

Infidel written and read by Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a raw, intense memoir of a gutsy young Muslim girl and how her experiences shaped her current political and personal views. She lets it all hang out and invites us into the inner sanctums of her mind and heart. It's beautifully written too. No small wonder that this woman is fluent in three languages and a member of one of the most influential think tanks in the world. Her reading is as emotional and authentic as her writing. I couldn't imagine this book read by anyone else.

For social commentary masquerading as thriller, try the second book in Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy. The Girl Who Played With Fire brings back the most kickass feminist vigilante in recent literature. Lisbeth Salander is a punkrock computer hacker with a photographic memory and a harrowing past. She's an intriguing character - intensely vulnerable yet frighteningly capable. The audiobook is read by the actor Simon Vance without whom I would still be stuck on many of the Swedish names. The pronunciation of "Blomqvist" is worth the cost of admission. He masterfully takes on a stunning array of characters and gives them each an individual voice.

My good friend Becca works in childrens' publishing, and she turned me onto this one. Alan Bradley's Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie introduces the charmingly devilish Flavia De Luce, a precocious 11 year-old who solves a murder while plotting dastardly revenge against her pretentious older sisters. She's inquisitive, clever, peevish- sometimes all at the same time. Jayne Entwistle reads this one and is just spot on. Delicious.

Neil Gaiman is a masterful storyteller but his voice has a hypnotic quality that keeps me from really listening. I drifted through his reading of Stardust (but loved the graphic novel beautifully illustrated by Charles Vess; the movie version was forgettable). I'm glad he let a pro handle the luscious accents in Anansi Boys, a strange re-imagining of the African Anansi stories. It's classic Neil Gaiman - funny, intriguing and often downright disturbing. The comedian Lenny Henry reads this one and does such a fantastic job that I would classify it as performance art. I re-listened to some sections just to savor his storytelling ability.

Looking over this short list, I gravitate towards non-American accented readings. How about you? Got any recommendations? I'm always up for a good story.

Read to me

2010-05-24T14:17:00.000-04:00

Is listening to a book being read to you just as good as reading the book yourself? Is it better? Does it count? Or is it as big a cop-out as watching the movie?

I think it depends. Some books really benefit from having a great actor narrating (Maggie Gyllenhaal reading Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar - she brought the characters alive to me in a way that didn't really happen when my 16 year old self read them on the page). And some books are better left to the reader's imagination (Nora Ephron reading her own I Feel Bad About My Neck made me think, "She sounds like a sarcastic, slightly more charismatic version of Hilary Clinton giving a public speech. Talk. Faster. We're. Not. All. Morons.")

Acting/reading ability aside, I think there are certainly benefits to reading a book old-school style with eyes skimming page be it on paper or on-screen. Your mind fills in the audio and visual components of the story. And in that sense, you participate in the creative process along with the writer. The Harry Potter series comes to mind. Reading the books on paper first allowed me to make the characters look and speak in a certain way that was all my own. Yet when I listen to Jim Dale's superb reading, I realize that all my accents are wrong and perhaps I should leave the English accents to the professionals. Which begs the question, "As a reader, am I limited by the creative extent of my own imagination? Am I better off waiting for the audiobook, the movie, the 3D movie in IMAX?"

Listening to a great actor reading a great book, I think, can be a thrilling experience. It's like being a kid listening to an adult who really gets into the story, taking on different voices, and even acting out certain scenes. It's delightful. It gets the imaginative juices flowing. A good story is a good story, no matter the media.

Lately, I seem to be incapable of reading a book in the conventional sense. In fact, I've been in a reading slump for the last six months. But my need for stories hasn't abated - I just fill it with different forms. TV series, movies, and audiobooks. I blame the knitting. It's hard to turn a page while purling a stitch. I would need another hand. So I've been listening to alot of audiobooks.

Now that I'm in the throes of a lengthy knitting slump, I'm starting to feel drawn once again to words on paper. Itchy fingers, I guess.

Jay Kim, Esq.

2010-05-20T16:23:00.000-04:00

My brother Jay is a very interesting person. He studied art at Brown before attending Parsons School of Design for painting. But after a year in NYC, he decided he didn't want to become a starving artist after all. At a loss, he went back to school and got two more degrees from the University of MD - mathematics and computer science. He worked for a web design company for a bit and through a random set of circumstances, he ended up working for the US Patent Office where he reviews software patent applications. And this is where, of all places, he decided to blossom. Apparently, patent law is where it's at.

Last week, he graduated from law school at George Washington University. I'm duly impressed - not just by the degree but because he obtained it while holding down a full-time job and doing his share in raising his three-year old hellion (I mean, daughter). I wanted to get him a graduation gift worthy of such an amazing accomplishment. Maybe a fancy pen or engraved stationery yet somehow that just didn't seem suitable to my very unstuffy brethren.

Did you know you can get personalized M&M's?

Yup. For about half the cost of your basic Mont Blanc pen, I got three bags of M&Ms - one side read: Jay Kim, Esq. while the other side had this picture of him looking serious and grumpy.

Scary Lawyer Face

Congratulations, Jay. We're all mighty proud.

On my soapbox: dinner for doggy

2010-05-12T20:18:00.000-04:00

I enjoy cooking. Over the years I've expanded my repertoire with varying amounts of success: grilling, baking, stewing, soup-making, touching on nearly every ethnic food there is. It's fun, often tasty and always rewarding. Of course it helps to have a well-stocked kitchen (Yarn Widower often grumpily complains that we own every kitchen gadget there is; he's prone to exaggeration) and a good chunk of time to devote to home-cooked food (a rare luxury in this day and age).

I love food. I could go on and on about the importance of it, the subtle nuances of flavor, the heady aromas of spices, the emotional and physical ramifications of preparing and eating truly good food. But not today. Today I want to talk about my latest cooking venture - cooking for my dog.

Maybe this sounds like overindulgence. But the more I learn about food (see Food Matters by Mark Bittman), the more I pay attention to what actually goes into food. And as far as kibble and canned pet food goes, it's usually not good. According to Food Pets Die For by Ann Martin, the stuff that goes into most commercially available pet food is the detritus of the food industry - roadkill, diseased livestock, and massive amounts of chemicals to prolong shelf life and keep down costs. In other words, it's not really food.

Of course, there are some dog food companies that are more interested in nourishing your pet than making cash at the expense of your pet. Do an internet search of "pet food ratings" and you'll find tons of information. One site that I really like is petfoodratings.net. They offer in-depth reviews of dog and cat food companies. After conferring with the pupster, we switched from Science Diet to Taste of the Wild dry dog food. He likes an equal part of kibble to an equal part of "moist" food.

Which brings us to the cooking portion of this program. Pup-cakes. I make a big batch of these the same day I make a big old meatloaf for me and the Yarn Widower (similar ingredients allows me to buy in bulk). I freeze what I can't use in the next few days and Bennan is one happy well-fed dog.

Pup-cakes
makes about 24 muffin-sized portions

Ingredients:
2 lbs lean ground beef (15% fat or less)
1 large sweet potato or yam, cut into 1/2" cubes (no need to peel)
2 stalks of celery, cubed
1 apple, cored and cubed (no need to peel)
2 cups of cooked brown rice
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
3 eggs
2 Tbsp of minced flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbsp of dried kelp powder (optional, available in health food stores)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Oil muffin tins.
2. Mix all the ingredients together. I use my hands but you can use a large wooden spoon.

3. Pat the mixture into the individual muffin tins.

4. Bake for 45 min to 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer reaches 165 degrees F. Allow to cool completely before serving or storing. Keeps for 1 month in the freezer.

Are they cool yet?

Knitting Slump

2010-05-04T14:57:00.000-04:00

I've misplaced my knitting mojo.

There's really no explanation for it except that it happens from time to time. I have plenty of yarn, plenty of unfinished projects. Just no oomph. No obsessive must-knit-now feeling. Maybe it's the weather - it's starting to get downright steamy here in So Flo. Maybe it's the bleak state of things - oil pumping out into the gulf, car bombs in Manhattan. Sigh.

Thankfully, I just got an influx of knitting books. I ordered Shirley Paden's new book, Knitwear Design Workshop.

And yesterday, my friend Kerrilyn lent me the use of her library card so I raided the knitting section at the Boca Raton library.

I think I'll start there.

Quackers

2010-04-27T12:17:00.000-04:00

Whenever I show these to anybody, their faces light up and they can't help but smile. Duck Feet Baby Booties. C'mon, they're freaking adorable!

Pattern: Duck by Jeny Staiman in Knitty Spring/Summer 2010
Knitty is an awesome online knitting magazine that features free patterns

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in colorway 340001 light yellow
1 skein (137 yards per 50g skein)

Needles: US 2

I had some previous experience with sock knitting (casting on for toe up, knitting in the round, turning the heel, etc) but never anything duck related. This pattern taught me a few new tricks: Turkish Cast-on, Applied I-Cord and a new stretchy bind off. Jeny's pattern is written beautifully. Everything is straightforward and thoroughly explained. I also loved that she had so many pictures to illustrate the various techniques and even provided links for further explanation. All-in-all, a fun pattern to knit.

Modifications:
For the toes, I kept getting gaps at the beginning of each cast-on row. After a few tries, I found that casting on an extra loop and then knitting it with its neighbor tightened it up enough so that it no longer gapped. Here's a close-up view of the toes.

My only other modification was to knit the applied i-cord along the side toes in one continuous cord (i.e. I started from one side toe, worked my way around back and then just continued to the other side toe). This gave me two less ends to weave in. (There are a lot of ends to weave in unfortunately).

But look how cute.

For those who like to stand unsupported, Jeny has a toddler version available on her blog: Curious Knitter

They stay on pretty well - even on active crawlers.

Model: Caden Violet (9 months) courtesy of Pat's Kids Modeling Agency, Inc.

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-21T13:16:00.000-04:00

Previously, I posted about a greener way to wrap gifts.

In honor of Mothers everywhere, EWrapz is currently offering a 40% discount on all single eWrapz from now until May 9. Wrap your mother's day gift in an eWrapz and encourage your mom to reuse it when she gets a gift for you. It may very well become a wonderful tradition between you and your mom.

Discount code: "yarnwidow1" gets you 40% off all single eWrapz items (3 and 6 packs are excluded from this offer).
You can purchase as many single items as you like and receive the discount on all of them. Just keep in mind that this discount code is only good for one transaction per IP address.
Good from now until May 9, 2010.

For a limited time, eWrapz is also offering free shipping. With 40% off and no shipping costs, that's a considerable savings. Try them out - I think you'll really like them.

Puppy Update

2010-04-19T13:06:00.000-04:00

Bennan has now been with us for a little over 5 weeks. He is a great (if somewhat needy) companion. Right now he has brought me 4 toys and is whining softly in a beseeching yet charming manner. Please play with me...

He is teaching me how to incorporate yoga into my daily life.

And that the anticipation of something can be just as good as the actual thing

Can we please play now?

Ballerina Cardi

2010-04-15T13:43:00.000-04:00

One of Pat's grandkids is Ella St. Onge of Bridgeport, Connecticut. For her second birthday, Ella came to Florida to celebrate with Grandma, Gramps, and various other relations. I had met her only once before (when she was about 16 months) but we had bonded instantly. She is, after all, a very charming young lady with discerning tastes. I knew that any knitted gift would have to reflect her ladylike yet slightly sassy demeanor.

Behold, Ella's Ballerina Cardi

Pattern: Bow-Tied Bolero by Debbie Bliss from her book, Special Knits
but it's also available for free from here.

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino (55% merino, 33% microfibre, 12% cashmere)
137 yards per each 50 g ball
I used 3.5 balls for size 12-18 months (I can't remember why I sized down but I'm glad I did because the fit was just perfect).

Needle: US 6

Modifications: I made the ties a lot shorter as I didn't want her tripping on them. Since the gauge was 6.25 stitches to the inch, I figured that if I wanted the ties plus fronts to be a total of 12 inches, then I would cast on 75 stitches (instead of the 105 stitches that the pattern recommends for the 12-18 month size).

Ella put it on immediately and wore it for the momentous cake cutting ceremony. I was quite honored to have such a fine up-and-comer wearing my knitwear.

The paparazzi instantly took notice and pursued her (and her handsome male companion) to the playground.

Ella and John (aka Grandpa)

Check out the fashion forward footwear! Gold gladiator sandals - so on trend for spring!

Overall, I think everyone was happy with it. I was happy: it was a fun knit (and quick too - love that about kiddy-wear). Ella's mom and dad were happy: machine washable (yay!) but not dryer friendly (oh well, that's the price one pays for handknits).

And what did Ella think?

LYS Miami Style Part 3

2010-04-08T11:40:00.000-04:00

When we got to the Knitting Garden, we were delighted to see some familiar faces.

Faith and Rebecca, our friends from the Boca group

The Knitting Garden is Caryn's favorite LYS. I can see why - it's everything a knitting shop should be: clean, bright, well organized and staffed by incredibly charming people. Annie is the shop owner and she was very happy to see us.

Annie hard at work

Her yarns are generally organized by fiber content and weight. She has a nice selection of premium yarns including Rowan, Malabrigo, Dream in Color and Lorna's Laces in a variety of colorways all neatly marked. Yarn Heaven.

I love a shop with lots of Koigu

Manos del Uruguay - mucho yardage

Lovely garment samples for inspiration

Carolyn indulging in some heavy yarn petting.

Charity ponders some wool

"I'll just get one of everything."

Michelle, Kerrilyn, Carolyn, Faith and Rebecca engaging in communal yarn molestation...

as Caryn and Helen look on.

Don't worry, Helen, no yarn was harmed in the process.

Not only is the yarn browsing top notch, but this is also a place that invites you to sit down and stay a while. Annie has a table in back for classes and whatnot (there's a flat screen TV for movie nights on Mondays). In addition, she has a little seating area which we commandeered. Comfy chairs in a yarn shop - Knitting Garden has it all.

Really, what more is there left to say?

The End.

The Knitting Garden

2716 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

Coral Gables, Florida 33134

305.774.1060

www.theknittinggarden.org

LYS Miami Part 2

2010-04-05T12:07:00.000-04:00

After browsing Anneke's, we were hungry. Time to feed.

We descended en masse upon Chocolate Fashion in Coral Gables, a tiny bakery cafe within walking distance of our next target, the Knitting Garden. Despite arriving in the midst of the lunch crowd, they were able to seat us almost immediately. The food was delicious - freshly made sandwiches and salads were perfect for lunch. Of course we had to have dessert. Tarts for the tarts!

Caryn had a mini eclair and a teeny tiny fruit tart

Carolyn attacked her petite pear tart with characteristic gusto

Helen chose a delectable key lime pielet topped with meringue

Kerrilyn and her lemon tartlet

Holly, what did you have? Inquiring minds want to know.

Charity and Michelle with their ironclad willpower refrained from the sugary feeding frenzy

But not me. I couldn't pass up the miniature eclairs. Yum.

Chocolate Fashion
248 Andalusia Ave
Coral Gables, Fl 33134
www.chocolatefashiononline.com

Our charming server Alexandre, flanked by Kerrilyn and Helen

Next up: The Knitting Garden

Road Trip! LYS Miami Style Part 1

2010-04-05T11:28:00.000-04:00

The knitters/crocheters of Boca Raton are a snazzy bunch. This weekend Caryn organized a road trip. Eight of us in two cars with visions of yarn candy dancing in our minds.

First stop: Anneke's Needleworks of Miami Florida. Tucked away amidst an office park/ warehouse area, Anneke's is a colorful smorgasbord of yarn and needlepoint supplies. The selection is broad and many of the major yarn companies are represented here (Rowan, Debbie Bliss, Lamb's Pride, etc.) There's three separate rooms with yarn loosely organized by fiber content and brand. The decor is eclectic Florida.

Charity expertly picking her way through a table display

while Kerrilyn ponders the flamingo in the pink sweater

The Great Wall of Noro

There's yarn in bins...

And yarn in baskets.

Yarn everywhere. The only thing missing was the prices. Since nothing was labeled, all possible purchases had to be run by Anneke herself. While this system may work for some people, I don't like it. It makes me feel uncomfortable like when I have to ask the waiter how much something is on the menu. I just prefer to avoid those kinds of situations.

But Anneke was very gracious and despite being busy, she patiently answered all of our questions.

Anneke winding a skein.

Anneke's Needleworks
7440 SW 50th Terrace #107

Miami, Florida 33155

305.665.6222

Next on our list: Lunch

Phyllotaxis

2010-04-02T11:41:00.000-04:00

Phyllotaxis is a botanical term that refers to the arrangement of leaves on a stem. This simple definition belies the intricacy and impossible beauty of the actual thing. It's the Fibonacci sequence in visual form. It's proof positive that geeky nerd math can be absolutely lovely.

http://innovis.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/Research/PhylloTrees

It's also the inspiration for one of Norah Gaughan's sweater designs from her book Knitting Nature.

Pattern: Phyllo Yoked Sweater by Norah Gaughan

Yarn: Rowan Calmer (75% cotton; 25% microfiber)
Colorway Lucky
7.5 balls used for a size small

Needles: US 9

This was a relatively quick knit since most of it is in stockinette with the yoke being the only tricky part. Cables and yarnovers - it was fun to watch the pattern emerge row by row.

I love Norah Gaughan's designs. She has a unique eye and creates lovely garments. This is one of my favorite sweaters to wear. I love the yoke detail and the bell sleeves are a nice touch. My only modification was to extend the yoke a bit so that the neck was a bit tighter than what the pattern called for. I wanted more of a crewneck than a boatneck.

I ended up using the recommended yarn - Rowan Calmer. It's a great choice for this sweater since the yarn is relatively lightweight and has a "sproinginess" to it that I've never seen in any other cotton blend. It may be one of my favorite yarns to date and after finishing this sweater, I immediately stockpiled some discontinued colors that I found on sale. It wears great too. I've washed it twice now in the delicate cycle and let it air dry. No noticeable shrinkage or pilling.

Just the perfect thing for enjoying a spring day.

Puppy vs. Knitting

2010-03-26T09:23:00.000-04:00

Bennan has a habit of stealing my knitting when I'm not looking. Thankfully, he has not torn anything up although our living room pillows all have teeth marks. I guess those balls of yarn are too enticing. Who can blame him - I'd run off with them too if they weren't mine already. Anyway, the knitting time has suffered lately since I have to keep an eagle eye on the little yarn thief who manages to look oh-so innocent even when feigning sleep. Dastardly dog.

Here's my latest project:
The Minimalist Cardigan by Ruthie Nussbaum printed in Interweave Knits Fall 2007.

I originally started it with Brooks Farm Four Play in a really rich peacock blue that I got a few years ago at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I thought I had just enough but alas, no. When I got halfway up the back, I realized that I was going to have to make it a short sleeved cardi or scrap it all together. I thought about scavenging for more yarn but Brooks Farm is a small private yarn producer and the odds of finding the same color in the same dye lot were too daunting.

So I decided to frog it (knitting term for ripping back; get it? It's called frogging because you rip it, rip it). And start over with a new yarn - one that I had plenty of. Normally frogging this much knitting gives me heartburn. All those hours! But this time I didn't really mind. Maybe this yarn was just not destined for this project. Maybe I'm developing a more process-oriented approach to knitting. Maybe I'm mellowing with advancing age. But whatever, I've started over. La-di-dah.

Meanwhile, Bennan has found more interesting things to chew.

Dog Days - part three

2010-03-16T06:32:00.000-04:00

Was I ready for a new dog? I had misgivings. For instance, I still cry when I drive by the vet's office. And seeing dogs that look like Harry is bittersweet. I'll just take a look on the the internet, I thought to myself. This led to, I'll just see who's available at the shelter. And ultimately, "Hey, Yarn Widower, there's this dog in Miami I'd like to go meet."

So we drove down to meet a 10 month old puppy named Bennan. He came right up to me and when I looked into his eyes and thought, Are you my dog?, he looked right back at me as if to ask, Are you my people? Yarn Widower and I went home and thought about it. Would he pee inside the house? Would he chew up all our stuff? When Carolyn, the woman who runs the rescue, suggested that we foster Bennan to see how he fit into the family, it finally felt right to me. Yarn Widower was dubious but slowly came around.

This is Bennan, our foster dog.

As a 6 month old pup, he was picked up as a stray in Miami and taken to Animal Services. Being a fearful little guy, he did not get adopted right away. Not until Carolyn of Second Chance Dog Rescue scooped him up to find him a new home. He's definitely a terrier - maybe a mix? But with that distinctive red coat and white chest, I suspect he's an Irish terrier. Anyway, he's a very handsome fellow. He's got a hefty underbite so his bottom teeth show. I've decided that's how he grins.

But it was certainly a rocky start between Bennan and the Yarn Widower. It turns out that Bennan finds strange men to be very threatening. For the first few days, Bennan growled and bared his teeth whenever the Yarn Widower entered his field of vision. I was very sad because it didn't seem like things were going to work out. But the Yarn Widower started to patiently win the little guy over with hot dogs (crack cocaine for puppies) and various other delectable goodies. Bennan got over his fears and responded with cuddles and puppy love. In the end, you get what you give.

The boys watching golf

Hi there, did you call my name?

Watching Ernie Els sink his putt

OK - watching golf is kinda boring

Bennan is an alternate spelling for Benen which is an old Irish name that means "he who is blessed." As of last Friday, Blessed Bennan is now our adopted dog. We're all pretty happy about it.

Dog Days - part two

2010-03-14T07:23:00.000-04:00

When Harry died last July, I was crushed. He was family - first as my surrogate child, always my best buddy and later my wise elder. I still cry sometimes when I think how much I miss him. Like right now.

Harry never liked other dogs. He much preferred the company of people. We could have never gotten another dog when Harry was alive because he would have seen it as a betrayal. Once when he was spending a summer with some friends, they got a puppy the last few days of his visit. He was so miffed that he ignored them and the puppy as best he could. He wouldn't even let them say goodbye to him. But really, they got the puppy because of him. He was such a cool fun guy that he inspired people to love dogs. Despite his doggy antisocial tendencies, he was the canine world's greatest ambassador.

But now that Mr. H is gone, I don't think he'd mind if we got another dog. Really, it would be a testament to him - he was my first dog and it was such a great experience that I always want to have a dog. Yarn Widower argues that having a dog limits our freedom (no spontaneous trips to Rome) and need he remind me how hard it was in the end when Harry was sick (I remember). But then we have never taken a spontaneous trip to Rome and illness and heartache are an inevitable part of being alive. But most importantly, it was all worth it. The benefits of having Harry far outweighed all the days of scooping poop, the rainy day walks, the money shelled out to dogsitters when we went away... The only thing that was really difficult is missing him so goddamn much. I think that's the real thing that holds most people back - knowing that in 10-15 years, you'll have to mourn the loss again. The high price of loving someone is having to lose them.

Life without love is really no life at all. For me, life without a dog is just simply less of a life.