You Better Watch Out, You Better Not Cry...

When I was a little kid, I took piano lessons.  There was a period of a few months where I knew about eight songs, and six of them were Christmas carols.  I vividly remember one day where my older sister Lauren had had enough. 

"If you play one more Christmas song, I'm going to call the police," she said.  "You're only allowed to play those songs at Christmas.  It is against the law to play Christmas music this time of year." 

It was June.  And, because I was (and still am) a little sister, I couldn't resist.

Jing-le Bells.  Jing-le Bells.

Then I was screeching from the piano after her, "Nooooo, don't call the cops!!!  I stopped!  I stopped!" as she walked to the kitchen telephone. 

Ah, good times. 

Why in the world would I reminisce about that particular story?  Why would I put it on the blog today? 

Well, let me tell you...knitters, crocheters, weavers, lend me your ears eyes.

Christmas is only 167 days away.

Hang on, hang on.  Do not smirk at me, you.  I see you raising your eyebrows, thinking I'm crazy.  Do you plan to knit presents for your loved ones this Christmas?  Hmmmmm?  Christmas is coming, yo.  Santa Claus is COMIN' TO TOWN.  It may be 167 days from now, but trust me, you're going to turn around a couple times, and suddenly, inexplicably, it will be December 20-something and you'll be scrambling through your stash, wondering where the time went.  I only know this because I do it to myself every year.

This person is obviously married to a knitter. 

                                                            
This is an excellent opportunity to beat the rush.  My friends, there is a fantastic Christmas In July Event going on this upcoming Saturday, July 14th, at Great Yarns in Raleigh.  At Great Yarns, the holiday fun will continue on even after the store has closed (O What Fun It Is To Play In A Yarn Shop After Closing!  Do you know that tune?)  Yarns Etc will have its own little Christmas In July fun the following Saturday, July 21st, during store hours. 



Yes please, I'd like a cookie. 



                                                     

There will be Christmas cookies, there will be Christmas music (and no cops), and there will be fantastic little kits of yarny loveliness.  Each kit will come with every single little thing you need to make a fantastic present for a loved one.  And the kits are excellently priced, starting at just $10.  With the combination of knowing what you're knitting someone, actually having it on hand (in a kit, for Pete's sakes), and having plenty of time to knit it in, someone is going to be looking pretty smart and be cool as a cucumber.  It's YOU I'm talking about!



Baby Polar Bear is going to be there.  He's got this. 

 In other yarny news, I'm working on two projects right now.  Neither have been festering in the UnFinished Object pile (UFOs for you muggles out there) and I'm enjoying them both immensely.  One is an Elizabeth Zimmermann sweater, knit from the bottom up, and I'm toying with just knitting three quarter length sleeves and also trying to figure out how to knit a V-neck.  Any ideas out there?  Are three quarter length sleeves on a sweater silly?  Any thoughts?

I'm knitting with good old trusty Cascade 220 in Chocolate Heather.  Yum.  I love this kind of knitting.  Round and round, knit and knit.  Fantastic TV knitting.   

My other project is a little more complicated.  This one is the Twenty Ten Cardigan by Veera Välimäki of Color Affection fame. 

This one is being knit in Cascade Yarns Eco + in a super inky black.  My camera is freaking out here--it's like trying to take a photo of a black hole.  It's slow going, moss stitch-y, asymmetrical goodness.  I hope I'm that cool, edgy knitter chick who will actually wear an asymmetrical button band.  I like to live on the edge...sort of.  

On another note, a fantastic, slighty controversial note, I have another Knitting In Public story to share with you.  I have to admit, I love love love all the attention us knitters have been getting lately.  From the Olympics to World Wide Knit In Public Week, we have been a rather sassy bunch lately.  But this lady really turned some heads last week.  She was knitting in public.  At Wimbledon.  That is just about 47 shades of awesome right there.  If you click on the link, you'll see what is sure to be a handknit shawl thrown about her shoulders, too (I wonder what the pattern was....).    The press tried to encourage the public to tell them who the knitter was, and no one has been able to identify her so far (from what I've heard).  I bet she got in her little car, drove off into the sunset, and still has no clue that everyone was foaming at the mouth about her knitting at the center line at Wimbledon.  Good for her! 

Stunner

I can't believe it.

I just...


I mean....

It's almost too much to comprehend.

I finished Vlad.    First off, whoa holy cow, whodathunk?  I knit lace!  Someone throw me a parade right there, ok?


Seventy Six Trombones led the big parade....


When I was binding off my stitches, it sort of looked a little....blah.

Vaguely reminiscent of what a human pancreas might look like, actually.



Erin, why is your pancreas laying on the ground? 



Or if a jellyfish were to go skydiving.

Annnnnnnnnnd........splat.



Aw, bummer.  The chute failed.

But then the miraculous process of blocking happened.  I love this part.

The straight pins were administered, the white fluffy towels did their best, my queen sized bed had a cameo and the Ella Rae Lace Merino really got to shine.



Can I tell you how much I love the scalloped edges? 



I employed a good idea during blocking with my straight pins.  Always count them out as you're using them, so you know how many you need to pick up afterwards, and you (or your husband) do not roll onto one in the night, since you're (read: me) blocking on the bed.  I quickly got a second good idea when I was picking pins up:  learn how to count properly.  46 pins down does not equal the actual 43 pins I picked up.  Blocking while talking to your children is not a good idea.  So far no one has found any stray pins, though, so I think we're in the clear.

So...I knit lace!  Yay for me!!!  Another part of the world of knitting has opened up to me.  I no longer have to look at lace shawls with wistful sadness because I think I can't knit lace.  I have done it!  Swallowtail Shawl, you better watch out!  I will conquer you one day very soon.  Now that I know about lifelines and how helpful they are, I can't recommend them strongly enough. 

More pictures!!

Whew, ok ok ok, I'll simmer down now.  What's next on the knitting horizon?  Well, Ravelry has a name for the games:  The Ravellenic Games.  Good for them!  Are you going to participate?  If so, what will you be knitting? 

I've already cast on two more projects, and pictures of them will be forthcoming for next week.  I think I'm going to figure out what my Ravelympic Ravellenic Project is going to be.  See you next week!

Let's Give 'Em Something To Talk About

Well, we knitters have had a heck of a week, am I right?


Thing 1:  Apparently the Olympic Torch isn't the only thing that burns hot during certain summers.  I presume that you know there are knitterly...pursuits...that coincide in a friendly way with the Olympics, meant to encourage, support, and challenge us all while we watch the Olympics.  The plan is to cast on for a project at the lighting of the Olympic torch, and complete the project before the torch is extinguished at the end.  Pretty harmless, right? 

Apparently not. 

Ravelry got a rather snarky Cease and Desist Letter from the US Olympic Committee, which made unfortunate use of the word "denigrate" in relation to us knitters, and then there was basically a response of..."Oh no  you di-int!" from the knitters of.the.entire.internet-o-verse. 



Aw, snap.



                                                  

At which point all hell broke loose.  Maybe you didn't feel it, but there was definitely a disturbance in the force.  Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, the originator of the Knitting Olympics, had her thoughtful opinion of the whole thing.  Others were quite...livid about it.  Regardless of feelings, it looks like Ravelry will be picking a different name for the event.  Perhaps the Rav-a-Limpets?

                               



We will definitely be using a bit of K2,P2 ribbing on this, and some increasing....



                                   

Yes, I think there's a solution right there. 

Thing 2:  There will be some fun events coming up in July for Great Yarns and Yarns Etc.  A little Christmas In July thingy, sounds like fun, details to follow soon.  Because, as knitters, crocheters, and crafters, Christmas is only 181 days away.  Other regular non-knitters may scoff at that, but we know, oh yes, how the time flies when you're deluding yourself that A) you will knit everyone's Christmas present and B) you have loads of time.  I would know that because those are the two things I tell myself every.freakin'.year.  Also, (ahem) a little knitting concurrent with a certain sporting extravaganza...that tends to be broadcast on what is known as a television.  From a country that may or may not be British (I need a lawyer!) . 

Thing 3:  Worldwide Knit In Public Week was last week, and I got a couple of great pictures from knitters. 




A little poolside knitting from Emily.  Ah, the sweet life!


And one that is for us history buffs,




There's our Jane keeping company with a knight in peaceful repose in Leipzig, Germany. 



Thing 4:  Geez, how come so many things?!?!?  Well, on the last blog post, you knitters out there voted that I should actually finish something in particular.  I should finish Vlad in particular, actually

I have actually made it through the body of the shawl, and am now on the edging (knock on wood, throw salt over left shoulder, etc etc etc), and maybe might could be done sometime soonish!  I can't believe it.  I was so ecstatic at being done with the body that I drew out pretty much all but the two most recent lifelines (turquoise yarn towards the top), and I hope the sucker looks way better after a thorough blocking. 

So that's it for now...details to follow on many things next week!  Promise!  See you then!



                                            

Voting Results Are In!

Oh boy, you guys are a riot.

Knitters beware.  After lots of voting (some of y'all voted more than once, but hey that's cool), a pattern just barely squeaked into the lead. 

Out of six votes total, Vlad got three votes.  In fact, only one person, Bonitinha, expressed her concern for my mental well being.  Ahem.  I am going to presume that you are encouraging my growth as a knitter, O Blogosphere, rather than planning my demise.  This is going to be verrrrry interesting. 

I have some more pictures to post of my beloved Color Affection, since my friend DJ was able to photograph it on me, rather than me photograph it laying limply on some towels.



No, I do not have a tidy home.  One of those reasons for the untidiness is in the second photograph!

Also a friendly reminder to everyone out there that this week is World Wide Knit In Public Week!  Let's get out there and scare those non-knitters with our dashing, flashing needles, our stitches, our projects, and maybe win some over to the dark side!  Please feel free to snap some pics and send them to me (ellarine23ATyahooDOTcom, replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) and I'll post them on the blog next week.  Major bragging rights go to the clever knitter who submits a photo showing knitting in an unusual place (don't get too crazy, guys--knitting and driving do not mix).  I can't wait to see what the week brings!  See you soon!

Stripes Make Me Smile

Apparently, if you fall in love hard with a project and knit (get this) only on that one project, unceasingly, devotedly, even ardently....


you will actually finish it rather quickly.

No way!  Way!!!!

Behold my Madeline Tosh Merino Light yarn Color Affection:



Many towels were sacrificed to the merino gods.



I love this thing so hard.  It was riveting.  The fact that someone designed this, starting with a few stitches, increasing, adding stripes of color, then adding another color to make....whoa...three stripes of color, and all in garter stitch.  I'm so easily amused it's painful.  I would, in fact, do this all over again, and I'm considering it.  In lace weight.  Look at this and just try to resist.  It's like the Borg of knitting patterns right now on Ravelry.  I kid you not.

I am Merino of Borg.  You will be assimilated; resistance is futile.

There was one little, eensy, nearly insignificant, glitchy-poo with this pattern, in my humble opinion, which other knitters noticed as well.  The straight edge of the shawl had a tendency to be very tight and, if you weren't careful, puckery.  Far be it for me to criticize the designer in the least, but I believe in fair warning for those of us who have been sucked in to the glory of it.  The Yarn Harlot recommended putting in a Yarn Over in between the first and second stitches of it and then dropping them at the end, in order to get some ease into it.  I thought I would try slipping the first stitch of each row, to see if I could get some relief from the puckering/tightness that way.  When I first cast off, I was concerned I'd have the pucker effect as well, but after blocking it is tolerably ok.  It's not loose like I'd like to see, but it is not scrunched in on itself, and I got to avoid the gut churning act of dropping stitches on purpose.  I know it can't unravel itself sideways, my head knows that, but my heart and my stomach always end up swooping like I'm base jumping when I drop a stitch.  I don't know how I survived Clapotis. 

So, I have this theory now, about projects in progress.  See, I like to knit.  I'm one of those process knitters I talked about before.  But now, after finishing something, having it to drape about me, I'm having a thought.  What if I delve back into my largish pile of unfinished objects...my UFOs...and finish something else???  Like, then I'd have...TWO finished projects.  Stuff I could wear, for cripes' sakes! 

Do we have any opinions about this, out there in the blogosphere?  I have several options to choose from. 

Behind Door #1 we have Corcovado:





If memory serves, all I need is to knit a sleeve and the other front part and then BAM--done.

Behind Door #2 we have Vlad:

                                             

But bear in mind my affliction/handicap regarding lace making, and the fact that it is really hard to write a blog when you're in lock down at the ward and you're not allowed computer access.  But I will roll with it if you think this is the one to finish.  (gulp)

Behind Door #3 we have the Far Afield Vest: 





Designed by Connie Chang-Chinchio, and my Rav-o-meter says I'm about 75% of the way done with it.  However, I've lost some weight since I've last knit this, and I might just have to do a frog and reknit. 

What say you, O wise knitters of the blogoverse?  Dost thou give a hoot?  If so, pleaseth posteth a commenth on the blogeth. 

In which the word "might" figures prominently.

My family and I are at the beach this week, feeling very relaxed.  Almost as relaxed as the internet connection here.  Almost. 

Also relaxing is my progress on Color Affection.  It is still as much a delight to knit as it was at the beginning.  I'm tempted to start planning my next one in a different batch of colors.  It is all knit, with a choice of three colors, and I'm a total sucker for anything that changes colors.  To see stripes of color building up, especially on this knit, where it...oh my gosh...curves...due to increasing stitches cleverly here and there, well, that just pushes my happy button. 

 

 

I'm on the last pattern repeat before I slap a border on it, and the rows are getting very looooooong, but it is wonderful vacation knitting.   I can't wait to see it off the needle.

Another thing that's fun about vacation is deciding what projects/yarns/winders/needles/notions/wool wash/neuroses/phobias/blocking pins/etc to pack.  I am in fear of being without exactly what I need, needles, yarn, or both.  To run out of things to knit while on vacation would provoke a total "Home Alone" reaction from me.

I also get plagued by the "mights".  I might decide I need a different size needle for the casting off of my project.  I might need more yarn for what I'm working on.  If so, then I might need to either wind yarn before I leave, or pack the swift and yarn winder.  I might decide to start a whole new project, seeing as I'm on vacation and all, and since I'm going to splurge, why not cast on something new, too?  I just might, you know.  Don't fence me in.  I might could, just would, mighty mighty scmighty tighty whitey flighty mighty might....

And, dear God, I might run out, not have enough, not the right kind, better pack more, including that acrylic/nylon blend you bought by accident three years ago...never know if I might need it.  

Oy vey.

This is how I ended up packing my two children's clothing into one suitcase, and my husband got the equivalent of a plastic grocery store bag, while I went whole hog and used the grand dame super sized wheeled suitcase that doubles as a rolling casket should anyone expire whilst on vacay.  It could happen.  It might.

I brought a little light reading with me on vacation, too. 

 

 

Behold The Principles of Knitting, by June Hemmons Hiatt.  A very, veeeery informative book about any and every aspect of knitting.  It boggled my mind, and I think that, so far, the only words I can throw at this book (professional book review that it is) are things like, "holy crap, I didn't know about that", and "Geez, this sucker is heavy", and "Huh, I didn't know you could do that either".  Seriously, this book has got Food-For-Thought-And-Knitting written all over it.  It is the long awaited, much anticipated second edition.  The first edition went out of print in the 90s, I believe, and copies of it became as valued as Grandma's fine crystal goblets.  I have long wondered what was between the covers of this fabled book, and now I'm very glad it is in my possession.  You might like to explore it, too.  Undoubtedly it will teach you many things you didn't know about our favorite craft. 

As it might rain today (thank you Beryl), we might go to the aquarium, and I might curl up with this book later.  Although the concept of curling up with a textbook of this magnitude is right up there with getting a mohawk for your new job as a banker, I just might try it anyway. 

 

Take Me Out to the Ballllllgame!

Take me out to the crowds....

Buy me some cotton and mer-i-no....

I don't care if you crochet or sew...

'Cause it's root, root, root for the fiberrrrrr....

With knitting, you know you've got game...

Wait a tick...those aren't the words to that song?  You're kidding!  Could have fooled me, considering where I was this past Saturday.  Behold the power of the Stitch N' Pitch!  Where a couple hundred crafty fiberistas (fiberistos?) can commingle, craft, and cheer on the Durham Bulls.

I have to confess, since I'm not from these parts, I always want to say Bull Durham rather than Durham Bulls, all because of Susan Sarandon.  I tried to channel some Annie Savoy, to no avail.

 Yeah, there's only one Susan Sarandon, but I can dream.

It was a wonderful experience, seeing all these...people, just scads of them, knitting, crocheting, hollering at the game.  All united under one roof in their love of using fiber and their hands to create.  Pretty. dang. cool.  If you didn't make it there, please consider it for next year.  

Other than that, this is shaping up to be a rather busy week.  Tomorrow is my birthday and I already got myself a little something fibery to celebrate.  It is coming along very nicely, and I adore it.  Can you guess what it is?

The yarn, the glorious yarn, is Madeline Tosh Merino Light in Stovepipe (bluish grey), Ophelia (blackberry), and Calligraphy (oatmeal-y grey).  The pattern is Color Affection, which is blowing up all over Ravelry and the blogosphere.  I adore it.  Strongly recommend it, actually. 

Next week my family and I will be at the beach, and I am looking forward to it immensely.  I am not looking forward to the packing of two small children for the beach, however, yet I AM looking forward to packing up my knitting for the beach.  Silver lining.  The beach is totally the silver lining too, come to think of it!  See you next week!