Holy Cow! She lives!

No; I didn't die. Not even close. I've been busy with life, work, vacations, and not doing too much knitting, writing, or interesting cooking. (So sad, I know). What I have learned in the past fourteen months is that when I don't blog I don't write (or knit or cook too many interesting things), so I'm back to blogging. It's a motivator for me, so I'm doing it.

What have I knit in the past year? Not a whole freaking lot. Seriously. I think I made a dishcloth, a hat, and a pair of socks. I've got another pair on the needles, but really want to knit a light weight cardigan for this autumn. I have the yarn. I have the needles. I even have the pattern. Now I need the gumption.

What have I written in the past year? Even less. I dabbled a bit on one of my knitting romance books, but haven't gotten too far. I had a few nibbles from agents, but nothing more than fifty page requests and polite no thank you's. (Can't decide if that apostrophe should be there but yous looked wrong as well.) And then Charlotte (my laptop) finally bit the dust (thank you universe for cloud back up). I have a new laptop now. A shiny Mac named Elliot. It's been a steep learning curve, but we are getting there. I still want to take a class at my local Mac store, but haven't found one that matches up with my wonky work schedule.

The work schedule has definitely changed. I was promoted to a Children's Lead position at the bookstore and am loving it, but I have a rotating three week schedule that makes planning things a bit of a challenge, but we are making it work. It does mean that I get a full weekend off every three weeks which is really nice. And I love introducing children to good books.

As far as cooking goes the most interesting thing I have made recently would have to be Fruit Loops and milk. OK, it hasn't been that horrible, but shopping has become so rote that there is nothing to write about. About as interesting as Fruit Loops and milk.

So here we go. I've brushed off the blog, dusted in the corners, and am all set to give this another go. Hopefully we will get somewhere.

The Summer Sweater Update Number 1

I finally (finally) got to the point in my sweater where I could put the sleeves on waste yarn and start on the body of the sweater. Finally. I'm not sure why it takes forever to get to this point. It's one of the things I dislike about top down sweaters and shawls. You cast on a few stitches. Sometimes as few as 6 sometimes as many as 50. Each row you add 2-8 stitches. The first 30 or so rows fly by and you imagine yourself wearing your new creation in a matter of days. Days, I tell you. The sweater (or shawl) is flying off the needles and you can actually see your work growing and taking shape. And then you hit the "point of oh god when is it ever going to end". And each row slogs through like you are trying to run through a quagmire. Each stitch is painfully slow and you swear it isn't growing at all. You have knit the same row at least 90 times. You wonder why you put yourself through this hell just for a sweater when you could purchase a perfectly good sweater at the mall. Your work is so dismal that you know the sun is producing 38% less light than it was the previous day.

And then, right when you are sure that you should abandon this project and go make a washcloth (because the world really needs yet another knit washcloth), you realize you have finally reached a major point in your project. For me it is putting the arms on waste yarn and joining the body under the arms and beginning the body of the sweater. You take a moment to admire the lovely row of yarn over increases along the raglan sleeve increase. You fold the sweater into shape and realize that it has definable parts of front, back, and sleeves. You smooth the lovely rows of stitches, whether they are stockinette or some intricate lace pattern or columns of cables. You are a knitter with a capital K. You can conquer this.

And then you realize that you still have at least 6 more inches until you get to do anything other than stockinette.  Perhaps it is time for a Harry Potter movie marathon.

Knitting the Perfect Summer Sweater

Several years ago (we won't say exactly how many in an attempt to preserve some pride) I purchased a bunch (and by bunch I mean twenty-five hundred yards, although it might be more) of strawberry red DK weight cotton bamboo blend yarn in the hopes that it would one day be the Perfect Summer Sweater. Of course I bought this yarn when I was living in Florida and Perfect Summer Sweaters are generally only needed inside movie theaters or the freezer section of Publix (I miss Publix, but not enough to move back to Florida). Sometime one might need a Perfect Summer Sweater when one's spouse decides that it is hot in the house and turns the air conditioner down to sub-zero. Other than those few instances, there isn't much need for a Perfect Summer Sweater.

I live in Ohio now. Last summer was my first season here and while it did get hot for a few weeks, I found the need for a sweater to be much greater than when I lived in Florida. I was considering purchasing one. (OK, I did purchase a cardigan, but it is far from a Perfect Summer Sweater and doesn't really fit in with what I want a sweater to do, it was simply to replace my khaki sweater from last year.) I then remembered that I had all that luscious red yarn in the yarn bin marked "Sweaters Worths." I went to town trying to decide what kind of sweater I wanted to make.  I'd have an idea of what I wanted in my head so decided to give Amy Herzog's Custom Fit Sweater a try.

I have to say that this in ingenious. The principle behind Amy's Custom Fit Sweater is that you put in your measurements, make a good swatch of the yarn you want to use with the needles you want to use, and tell Amy what features you want for your sweater (pullover, cardigan, short sleeved, no sleeved, long sleeved, v-neck, scoop neck, etc.) and through a series of clicks and the use of a good measuring tape she creates a sweater to your specifications that first your body. No circling which size you need throughout the pattern. You don't have to worry about missing a line for just your size which you forget to do and then don't have the right number of stitches. I'd heard several people rave about the fabulousness of this program and decided to dive in. It is only $10 to get a sweater built for your body alone.

I took my measurements with the help of my daughter. I knit up a swatch including the lace edge I wanted on the bottom and at the sleeves. I inserted all of the variants that I wanted for this sweater. And then I realized that the sweater was built from the bottom up and the lace I wanted to use was built from the top down. And what I really wanted was a raglan sleeve and that wasn't an option. So I left the program. I will be back to this and I will be making a fall sweater with her program, but for now I had a different image in mind and decided to go pattern diving at Ravelry.

That's all well and good except no one really had a sweater pattern like I wanted. I found some really cute ones, and I will admit that my queue and favorites grew exponentially this past weekend. So, I took a deep breath and did (dun-dun-dun) knitting math. I know how to make your basic raglan sweater. And I knew I wanted it to be a v-neck sweater. And I know the formula for how to do that. I don't need no stinkin' pattern. (Remember this. It may come back to haunt me in a week or so.) I cast on 90 stitches (the number needed to make a comfortably fitting neck that would open into a v-neck) and turned on the Game of Thrones marathon that HBO was running all weekend in preparation for last night's season premiere. (I'm still rooting for Daenerys, Tyrion and Arya to get together and clean house.) I managed to knit the first 36 rows and it is shaping up pretty nicely. I can continue on this pat for a while until I get to the underarms and then I'll need to a a bit more knitting math so I can have the sleeves I want and have enough stitches at the end for the lace pattern. I'm planning on making an i-cord edging around the center opening and neck.

With any luck this sweater will be finished by May and I will be sporting the Perfect Summer Sweater. I'll keep you posted as to how it is going. I may even wail a bit as I go along if my math isn't adding up. If I am suspiciously quiet about the sweater, feel free to poke me and ask what's up. If you still don't hear anything then assume that I've frogged it and hoping everyone has forgotten about it. In the meantime, if you are frustrated about not having a sweater that fits you, go to Amy's website and check it out. I've only heard positive things and she has a Ravelry group that can help you if you get stuck or have questions that aren't answered on the website.

Updates about stuff

My original intent was to update everyone on my progress with Sock Madness. Then I realized that I had other topics that needed updating as well. So, yeah, categories.

Sock Madness

Sock Madness is over for me. That second round sock did me in. There are still (as if the publishing of this post) spots remaining on my team, but I ended up frogging the second attempt at the first sock. I got to about the same point as the first attempt when I realized that I was not enjoying the experience. The sock is pretty. (You can see it here.) It's a fairly simple straightforward sock with some ribbing and some cables, but I just wasn't loving it. I felt frustrated, fumbling, and as if I was peering into an abyss that had certain doom at the bottom. I had vowed to myself last year that I would not knit anything that I didn't love. And I didn't love this sock. I didn't love the yarn, the needles, the gauge, or the tedium. So I frogged it. And I'm good with that. I'm now free to move on to more interesting and loved patterns. Perhaps I will finally finish remaking the yoke on the sweater I want to love.

Project 333

It snowed yesterday. Tomorrow it is supposed to get up to 50°F. I'm told this is typical of springtime in Ohio.  Although, I've also read that this is atypically late for this sort of spring time. Friday I pulled out my warm weather clothes box (remember I'm from Florida where we have warm/hot weather clothes and cool weather clothes rather than four seasons' worth of clothing). A few things are going to be sent to thrift stores for someone else to find and love. A few things from last year made the cut for this year. And I have a few items that I have already purchased for this year's warmer weather. I'm pretty good on bottoms, although I retired my white peasant skirt as it was tired and had a tear and had become dingy. I am looking for a new skirt. I have a pair of long khaki linen pants, a pair of cropped khaki cotton pants, two pair of "boyfriend chinos" - one khaki and one olive - and yes, I like khaki pants) and an A-line skirt with multiple shades of blue dots. Shirts consist of a few camis, a new white shirt with bicycles on it, a new sleeveless shirt, my peach shirt with rosettes and my aqua shirt which is all flowy (both left from last year). Replaced was the khaki cardigan that I purchased last year that already looks worn and tired.

(This is where I go off on a rant about the clothing industry and manufacturing in general.) I'm not a small girl. I'm ... busty. Because of my "bustierness" I find that I have to go to more expensive stores or shop in the Women's section of stores for dresses and shirts most of the time. This means that I also have to pay more, and sometimes a whole lot more, for the same clothes that are slightly larger than the largest sizes in the regular women's departments (usually called ladies or misses). Last year I made a vow (I may have blogged about it) that I would only buy quality clothing. No more clothes with raw edges, sloppy seaming, thin fabrics, and more clothes with natural fibers, reinforced seams, and with cuts that were ageless and would flow from one year to the next without looking like the previous year's trends. I have yet to find such clothes. And paying two to three times more for clothes does not guarantee that they are made to last. I hate playing $40-$50 for a light weight shirt only to have it fall apart before the current season is over. I am angered at having paid $60 for a cotton cardigan that looks like something from the glad rag box less than a year later. This winter I purchased a few sweaters from various stores and all of them have pilled to the point of being thin under the arms or along the back.

To prove that this is not just me purchasing cheap clothes, I have a few items that I have had for several years and they are just starting to show wear. I even have nice pieces that I bought used that are still quite lovely. The past few years, though, even the clothes I have purchased from upscale department stores are not holding up to any sort of wear. The clothing manufacturers are creating clothes that are only meant to last for one season (if that) and are forcing us to purchase clothes more often. It's a huge cycle of "stuff" buying. I've watched in action in clothing, footwear and home appliances. There is a fantastic short movie about this philosophy at The Story of Stuff. I encourage you to go watch it if you haven't.

The one thing I am looking for is a lovely pair of flats or low heels to wear with my (previously unmentioned) white polka dotted black dress and my skirt(with a hopeful pluralization). I have a thin heel, wide toes, high arch and tall instep. It means I cannot wear your typical cute flat shoes. I end up in things that look more orthopedic than trendy. I'm still hunting, though.

So that's my bit of an update. I'm sure there is more that I wanted to say, but got slightly side-tracked by my little rant. I'd love to know how your spring is shaping up.

On Sock Madness

Each year I participate in a little knitting competition called Sock Madness. It had brackets. It has speed. It has Norwegians. Everything a good sport should have. The premise is fairly simple. Qualify (by knitting an assigned pattern in two weeks) and then knit your way through each assigned pattern as quickly as you can to beat out the other people on your team. The first year I participated there were four teams. This year there are ten or eleven. My team is somewhere in the middle. We are all "average speed" knitters. I'm supposedly matched with other knitters who knit about the same speed as I do. The nice thing about this competition is that it is one of the friendliest games I've ever been in. People cheer you on and encourage you when you get down.

The current sock was supposed to be knit on size US 0 (2.0 mm needles). I made it half way through the first sock before I had to quit and frog it (I had a missed cable and the small diameter needle along with the very rigid fabric made my hands ache so badly). I have since recast on (recasted on? recast onned?) the sock on larger needles with larger yarn. It is going a bit more smoothly this time. I'm hoping to make it to round five this time. (I have never made it past round four.)

I used to knit with size 0 needles all the time, but in the past few years I have found that they don't play nicely with my hands. I also have problems knitting with needles that are too large (size 13's, 15's, 35's). I guess my hands prefer my 6's, 7's, and 8's. I guess I should be knitting more sweaters and fewer socks. Every year when sock madness comes around, though, I can't not knit with them. I have to know what is in store for this year's patterns. We've had zippers, buttons, funky vikkel braiding cast ons, socks knit side to side, tape (!), and the dreaded nupps (two row bobbles for the non-knitters).  Each year when you think that you have knit all there is to knit someone comes up with a new technique that, well, knocks your socks off. It's fun and I love the people I have met in this madness.

It's too late to sign up this year, but head over to Ravelry and check the group out or go to the patterns and search for Sock Madness patterns. They are fresh, unique and down right fun.

Editing one's own work and a book review

For quite a few years I was a bibliographic editor and technical writer/editor for a library bibliographic company. I enjoyed that job and excelled at it. I could remark two hundred pages in no time at all. I was vicious and liberal with my red pen and earned a place on the Grammar Patrol. I could quote Strunk and White and bring embarrassment to even the retired high school English teacher. I knew my grammar and let everyone else know it as well.

Yet when it comes to my own editing I truly suck. Sometimes when I am blogging I am typing so quickly (I've been clocked at over 90 wpm - note the missing c) that I don't even notice my own errors. Even reading through them a time or two I still miss many stupid little errors. I keep telling myself that I could correct this by first typing my blog into Word and then copying it to blogger. Yet, each time I sit down at the computer to add to my blog I open a compose page and start typing. It's quite embarrassing. As punishment for yesterday's hasty post (I was still quite excited having visited with RAchael Rachael) I made two errors and left them crossed through. Forgive me my grammar errors when you see them and know that I was probably too hasty and did not use Word to check for my errors.

And now on to something a bit more fun. As some of you may know I've written a book titled Knitting a Boyfriend Sweater. Some of you may even have had the chance to read the manuscript. In the book I have a magical and imaginary sweater that the main character knits. It's a lovely sweater in my mind, but I'm a bit too lazy to make it a reality. I know what it looks like in my head, though. Since writing this story, I have been fascinated with the idea of a boyfriend sweater.  For you non-knitters, there is a
mythos that if a boyfriend sweater is knit too early in a relation, or possibly at the wrong time in a relationship, or  in a premarital relationship, or even at all that the sweater will doom the couple to certain breakup. Then there is the problem of what to do with the sweater. Perhaps the guy burns it. Maybe he is nice and gives it back to the girl. In which case she may be tempted to burn it, but, oh, all the hours that went into that sweater. She might decide to donate it to charity or give it to a friend. She might wallow in it, sniffing the sleeves wailing about her broken heart, leaving salty tear stains down the front. She may even come to the conclusion that she knit it, damn it, and so she is going to wear it, even though it was knit for someone with a completely different body shape. The one conclusion that all women agree upon is that by no means does a girl regift a boyfriend sweater. There is really bad mojo in that act and it is best to give it away to a friend than doom a future relationship. Even if he would fit it and the color would bring out the lovely teal in his eyes. Don't do it. Just don't do it.

I came across a darling little book called Boyfriend Sweaters: 19 Designs for Him that You'll Want to Wear by Bruce Weinstein. You can see all his designs on his Ravelry designer's page. I love this book. I bought it immediately. The sizes are wonderful going from a 33-3/4" chest to a 60" chest measurement. So many generous sizes to choose from. The book is filled with wonderful textures, too. I am all about the textures. There are subtle diamond patterns done in knits and purls as well as more complex textures of honeycomb. Even the simple patterns have enough interest to them that you aren't going to feel like you are doing round after round of nothing but stockinette stitch, although there are a few sweaters that are composed of primarily stockinette stitch (although one is an initial sweater and another is houndstooth, so yeah, still not boring). There is a lovely Project Index page in the back of the book so you can easily find the pattern you are looking for if you can't remember it's name, but you remember what color it was. This happens to me far too often and I spend many hours thumbing through books searching for that one pattern that I remembered seeing. Aside from the fourteen sweaters, which include both cardigan and pullover styles, there are four scarf patterns and a reversible paisley stocking hat, which is called Reversible Paisley Hat, for those of you who aren't quite ready to commit to a sweater's worth of work for your boyfriend.

I think my favorite sweater in the entire book is the Seed Placket Pullover. Do not fear, those of you frightened by seed stitch. The entire sweater is not composed of seed stitch, only the collar area is seed stitch with simple seed stitch striping to give it a nice clean look.  I even like the variegated green that is used for this sweater.  I also love the Shaker Cardigan done in a nice easy-on-the-eyes brioche stitch with a flattering v-neck and simple raglan sleeves. It is ranked as an easy skill level and I believe this is accurate.

Almost all the sweaters use a medium or worsted weight yarn save for a few that us a DK weight. Several of these sweaters could be made from either a cotton or wool blend to match your area's climate. I will warn you ladies out there, this is not a true "his and hers" book. These are sweaters designed for men and for men's bodies. There is no flattering waist shaping, bust darting or short rows. These are long straight sweaters made for long straight men. If you are skilled enough to nip in the waist a bit and make it a more girly sweater then go for it, but don't be disappointed if you get to the end of this sweater and realize that you look like you are wearing a potato sack. There are a million sweater patterns out there (actually, according to Ravelry there are over 62,000 sweaters, but that's pretty close to a million) and of those million sweater patterns the majority of them are for women. So if you are looking for a flattering sweater to fit your girly curves, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a nice sweater for that special guy in your life (be it a boyfriend, fiance, husband, father, or teenaged or adult son) this is a wonderful book that will give you many options available. Just, please, for the love of all things alpaca, don't burn it when he gives it back you to. Put that sweater on, realize that he simply was not knit worthy, and move on.

Boyfriend Sweaters is published by Potter Craft, a division of Random House, and retails for $21.99. The ISBN is 9780307587121.

Book Review: Cora's Heart by Rachael Herron

As I said yesterday, my friend, Rachael Herron, has a new book coming out on Tuesday. The title is Pack up the Moon and I can't wait for it to come out. But, since it isn't out yet and I haven't gotten to read it yet, I wanted to still give her a hearty plug because she is my friend and I love her books. And not because she is my friend. But because she writes about real people and sultry dark handsome men (many of them cowboys of a sort).

I recently re-read Cora's Heart so it is fairly fresh in my brain. The short review: I loved it! No truly, it was a lovely book and I both couldn't wait to get to the end and was sad when it was over. (I love books that do that!)

Cora's Heart is a sweet story of mis-crossed lovers. She loved him. He loved her. She ended up married to someone else (his cousin in fact - no not a spoiler) then her husband dies and what a mess that leaves. Cora is strong, yet she needs help and doesn't even know it. She's a planner, a prepper, a meet it before it happens kind of gal. She takes no bull from anyone, but in reality she is tender and fragile. She would break easily if she only knew she was as tender as the teacups she loves to drink from. This is the fourth book in the Cypress Hollow Yarn series (there are also two novellas which are also well worth reading). Yet once again the late Eliza Carpenter, who is so wise and dispenses wonderful wisdom disguised as knitting advice, manages to bring together two of Cypress Hollow's residents in an odd turn of misery to love. I love Cora and her story is delicately told by a darling storyteller. If you love yarn, love romance, and love well-rounded characters then you need to grab a copy of this book.

Unfortunately, this book is not available at Barnes and Noble, but it is available as a Nook download. I'm not sure why this one book isn't available in a paper format, but it isn't. If you do want a paper copy rather than a digital copy, you can purchase them through Amazon. (Note: I am not a fan of Amazon. I truly believe that Amazon is trying to strategically destroy brick and mortar bookstores whether they are independent or a "big box" like Barnes and Noble. I truly love going into a bookstore and holding books and thumbing through them to see if they are the right book. I do own a Nook and do purchase digital books from time to time, but my first love is the printed word and being able to go into a bookstore and browse for hours to find the perfect book. So off my soapbox now.)

My favorite character in all of Rachael's books is one that we rarely see. Her name is Eliza Carpenter. She's deceased in all the books, but her spirit lives on. She is a very Elizabeth Zimmerman like character. She is a famed knitter (and spinner) who had much to say about knitting and life. She knew exactly how to reach out to someone in need and she knew how people would respond to different stimuli in the future. Sometimes she would make plans for people ten or more years down the road because she knew the very fiber of their being. Her gentle, but no-nonsense, demeanor makes any fiber person yearn for someone like her in their lives. I forget sometimes that Eliza Carpenter wasn't a real person. I know logically that Eliza Carpenter is a creation of Rachael's brain and heart. Eliza is real in that she is Rachael. I wish I had an Eliza in my life. someone who knows better what I want than I do. Who assures me that knitting and spinning and my love of fibery goodness isn't silly or only a hobby. That it is something that speaks to my heart.

So go out and buy a Rachael book. Or at least borrow one from the library. You will appreciate yourself for it. And perhaps you will find a new author to fall in love with. Oh and Rachael is such a doll.

Moving in day!

After much toil, trial, tribulation, tears and tearing out of hair, I was able to finally deem the room done and move my "stuff" back in!  What a very exciting thing it was.  But before I actually moved anything into the room, I cleaned it out of all the plastic covering on the floor, the blue tape around the windows, the various ladders, tools and paint supplies.  I swept the floor very well and then I danced silly twirling dances with Boo (as the boy wouldn't join in such a wild rumpus).  I figured if I was going to have a clean open space that I would take advantage of it at least once for something fun and silly.

So I moved in the sewing machine, spinning wheel, ironing board, and my old desk.  I bought and assembled 2 sets of metal shelves and put all my stash (both fabric and fiber) as well as all my paper, rubberstamps, ink, and a few paper supplies.  I've decided to do the 6 month approach to anything else moving into the room.  Whatever I don't use in the next six months does not come back into the room.

The room.  That's what we keep calling it.  I don't really know what to call it.  I don't really care for "hobby room" because I envision it to be so much more.  It's not really the sun room  any longer as I did take out half the windows.  It still has quite a bit of light, but it isn't truly a sun room.  So if you have any good suggestions on what to call this room, leave your suggestions in the comments section.

My next task is to cut out curtains for this room.  It's all echoey and hollow-sounding and needs things to buffer the noise.  Curtains are in order and after that I'm not sure what.  I'm betting getting some soft furniture in here will help as well. 

In knitting news, I have new shoes.  Yes, this is a knitting related statement.  See?  They are Danskos if anyone is interested.  Yes, Dansko shoes with knitting on them.  As many people who have seen them in person have commented, "They are quite ... well ... ugly, but so very you."  They are pretty and shiny and have knitting on them.  I love them.  And you should too.  Even if on my feet alone.  I justified their expense because I needed new work shoes and the shoe repair place that I took my last pair of Danskos to lost my shoes.  Yes.  Lost my shoes.  How does one lose a pair of shoes that are connected together and in a plastic bag?  I'm quite upset and he has been ignoring my calls to find out where my shoes are.

But in the real knitting news, I've been working hard at the Ravellenic games.  These would be the aforementioned Ravelympics, but the United States Olympic Committee decided that we should cease and desist using anything that had "lympic" in it as they had a copyright on those syllables and that it degraded the work that "real" Olympians put forth.  Of course that irked the entire knitting community who took it upon themselves to enlighten the USOC about a few things.  The USOC gave a non-apology and then asked if we would like to donate knitted items for the US athletes to take to the Olympics.  Unfortunately the USOC failed to recognize that Ravelry is an international community and probably would not be interested, after being insulted, in donating knitted items to the Olympians.  Please note that we love the athletes.  We just aren't very fond of the USOC.  However, I am knitting while watching and am making a beautiful shawl by Heatherly Walker, known affectionately as Yarn Yenta, called Threnody.  It's a Knitty pattern and named after a character in D M Cornish's Monster Blood Tattoo series (which is delightful and a fabulous read for older tweens and teens).  I'm making it from some very lovely Sweet Georgia Yarns Merino and silk blend in a sport weight (the package says DK, but it is much thinner than that but much thicker than fingering). The color is called Oxblood and I'm simply in love with it.  I have two more rows and the bind off and I'll be through knitting it.  I'm hoping to finish that and get it blocked today.  

So, leave me a name suggestion for a room that is used to create things.  There will be lots of sewing, knitting, spinning, and other crafts going on in here.  And if my previous plans for today pan out there will be curtain creating happening this afternoon.

We found brick!

One of the fun things about this project (trying to keep on the bright side here) is pulling out walls and making discoveries about how the room is built.  I've learned a few things such as why there was black paint striped along the walls (it's so that the white drywall doesn't show through the seams of paneling).  Today we decided to pull out a section of wall to see how it was constructed and we found our outside brick wall.  It's a bit funny to see and we found a pipe sticking out of the wall.  Not sure what it is for but we found it.  Fortunately the insect infestation seems to stop at the brick which is a very good thing (yet again my attempt at remaining positive).

I think we have come to an agreement on what we want to do with the room in terms of rebuilding (although there still seems to be some argument as to ownership of the room once it is built).  The room currently has six large (4'x4') windows and an exterior door.  We are planning on leaving the exterior door but cutting the windows back to three windows, putting one window in the upper right hand corner of the room and the other two windows starting at that corner and coming out towards the center of the yard side wall.  That will leave three perfectly good corners for putting in shelves, adding counters and arranging furniture (such as some comfy couches for inviting friends over to sit and knit or quilt or simply to chat).  Although, there is this argument of ownership.  I see the room as a perfect knitting, spinning and quilting space.  Mr. KCW sees it as a perfect brewing space.  I think it is far too large of a room for simply brewing and he would be better served using the current room which we call a hobby room, but could easily be converted into his perfect little brew spot. 

In the news of knitting I'm working on (yet again) the Clapotis by Kate Gilbert.  Hopefully this one will not have any mistakes so the dropped stitches will truly drop.  So far I am finding it very soothing as the rhythm is almost waltz-like.  I've finished 3 repeats of the straight section and I'm loving dropping stitches. This is helping me keep my calm in the evenings and isn't making me think too much (as I have to with my Pea Vine Shawl by Anne Hanson).  I'm working the Clapotis using Madeline Tosh Merino Light in the gorgeous shade of Ink (I think it's appropriate for me). Hopefully I'll post pictures soon.

10 on Tuesday: Knitting Schedule!

Carole's list for this week is to list the ten things on your knitting list this fall and winter.  Woo hoo! Knitting gets me back to blogging.  (That and a semi-sane work schedule.)  So here they are:

1. Finish the green summer sweater so I can wear it next spring.
2. Finish the six, oops, I mean seven, pair of socks that are all mate-less or still OTN (I figured it was less annoying to lump them together than to list them individually)
3. Finish the Pea Vines shawl
4. Make a pair of magnificent socks by Anna Zilboorg now that I know how
5. Knit a pink ruffly bra for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in October (link is how you can support me)
6. Knit up the lovely pumpkin wool and silk I bought at Stitches into some sort of cardigan
7. Knit hats, scarves and mittens for Sylvia's Place
8. Knit on super secret project for super secret friend who is going through a very difficult time
9. Knit Something Wicked with the acid green lace weight yarn
10. Knit the grandlet a new winter sweater

The Knitting in Harry Potter

(Yes, to answer your question, Harry Potter is probably going to appear in every post this week, so get over it, thank you very much.)  If someone had asked me who my absolutely favorite character is in the Harry Potter series, they might be surprised by me answering with Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of keys and game keeper at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  What?  Not Molly?  Not Severus (especially when played by Alan Rickman)?  Not Dobby?  Not Lupin?  Not Hermione?  Nope.  It's Hagrid. 

Let me explain.  Yes, I am very much like Molly.  I have a bunch of kids (not as many as Molly, but more than the average American household).  I am married to a geek (and let's face it, Arthur is a wizard geek).  I knit and do other domestic things.  I am fiercely loyal to my family and somewhat doting and we both knit.  But as much as I love Molly.  As sexy and endearing as I find Professor Snape.  As adorable and courageous as I find Dobby.  As caring and understanding as I find Remus.  As smart and confidant as I find Hermione, it is Hagrid that takes top spot. 

It began when Hagrid pulled out a large bit of knitting that somewhat resembled a circus tent and began knitting on the train with Harry on their way to Diagon Alley.  Here was this huge half-giant with large hands and fat fingers (at least in my mind) sitting with a pair of 4.5mm needles (at least in my mind) knitting a ... and that's when the mind goes blank.  I've toyed with everything from a jumper to a hut cozy to a thestral blanket.  But he was knitting.  He was the first character we encounter with mention of knitting.

Lots of character knit, though.  Molly (duh) and most likely Ginny (and I even can see Bill knowing how for some reason).  Hermione knits.  Later we find that Dobby has learned the craft (or perhaps he knit for the Malfoys).  Dumbledore even knits (he loves knitting patterns).  I can see him sitting up at night when he has been pondering where the next Horcrus might be or worrying about a meeting with the Board of Directors and pulling out a pair of thick woolen socks to knit a while gently prodding his thoughts in the pensieve. 

There is no huge display about knitting in the Harry Potter series.  But there is knitting.  It's all around and it seems so ordinary and normal.  But then that's how it is in my house.  There are four knitters in this family, so the fact that there is knitting in Harry Potter just makes it that much more special to me.  And tomorrow as my children gather around the television (beginning at 3am) to watch all seven movies prior to going to the midnight premiere, there most likely will be knitting involved.  And maybe someone will have a good idea what Hagrid was knitting.

Tour de Fleece

It's July and for millions of people around the world it means it is time to check daily to see how the Tour de France is going.  Who's ahead?  Who's wearing the yellow shirt?  How the heck do they endure it day after day through mountains and valleys and in rain and heat and sleet (remember that year)?  For over 4,000 knitters this month also means that it is the annual Tour de Fleece.  We spin our fibers as cyclists spin their wheels.  It's kind of the same except without the mountains or hills or long exhausting hours.  If we start to get a blister we stop.  If we get hungry we go get a piece of cake.  to tired to even get out of our jammies, we just spin in our lovely sheep festooned pajamas.  Yep.  It's grueling I tell ya. 

The premise is that you set a goal for yourself and spin every day that the race is happening.  I decided to spin for 10 minutes a day at a minimum.  I've spun a total of 9 grams so far.  It may not seem like a lot but considering I don't spin all that often and I'm using my lovely Trindle to do so, it's a big step for me.  I love my Trindle.  It spins fabulously and my spinning is getting more even each day.  Yesterday I only dropped the spindle twice while spinning. 

The fiber I'm using is a wonderful merino and bamboo blend that I picked up at Stitches South last year.  It looks a whole lot like cotton candy with its pale blue and pinkish lavender colors.  (Xeno cat can attest that it doesn't taste like cotton candy).  It drafts so lovely and is going to be gorgeous once spun and plied.  I have no idea what I'm going to do with it, but it will be something people will be able to see easily (so not socks).  I'm thinking a scarf or hat.

It may not be as challenging as riding a bicycle for 3600 kilometers, but when we get to the end we will have more to show for it than a silly yellow shirt.  And the really cool thing is that everyone is a winner.  I like that kind of world.

Twisted German Cast On

I have fallen in love with a new cast on technique.  I had done it in the past on one or two projects, but never truly liked it.  This past Sock Madness competition had a sock that started with this cast on technique and amazingly I fell in love with it.  I'm not sure why, but I did and I've been using it ever since.  Perhaps it was all the Scandinavians who said, "Oh, that's the cast on we always use" or maybe it is because I realized how much stretchier it is than the regular long tail cast on.  Although, do be aware that this is a variation of the long tail cast on and takes just a wee bit more yarn than the regular long tail cast on. 

I have found that by using the Twisted German Cast On I don't fall too hard into the "Ooops, I cast on too tightly ... again" problem.  I also think it gives a much nicer look than the ordinary long tail cast on.

This is the long tail cast on:

Notice the bottom is kind of wimpy looking and not very stable.











Here is the Twisted German Cast On:

See how the bottom edge looks like a lovely braid or a row of knitting and the base is much more stable. Yet it is fairly stretchy.










Here's a wonderful video on how to do the Twisted German Cast on:

The problem with UFO's

I honestly think sometimes that aliens come and abduct not our bodies but our knitting patterns when we are half finished making something.  I started fantasizing yesterday about a new knitting project.  A nice vest with waist shaping that buttoned in the front or perhaps it was a pullover with a deep neckline that would be perfect to wear over a crisp shirt.  I even think that the gorgeous silk/wool blend that I got at Stitches would be the perfect yarn for such a venture.  I went as far as to go to Ravelry and search for vest patterns.  I doodled a bit.  I looked through my own library to see what I already had.  And I considered swatching to see what gauge I was getting.

And then I came to my senses.  The aliens had come back and stolen my patterns to all my UFO's  (For those of you who are not knitters, UFO's are UnFinished Objects as we have FO's as well ... sometimes if we actually get to finishe something prior to alien abduction.)  I tried to reason with myself that I didn't really have that many UFO's.  In fact I went over to my Ravelry project page and counted them just to prove it.  See?  I only have my second Little Slipped Stitch sock, the second My Little Bit of Lace sock, the second Kimono sock, the second Rick sock, my second Regency sock, the Argus Panoptes socks, the Pea Vines shawl and the green cabled summer sweater which is 45% finished.  I could lie and say that my way of dealing with socks missing their mates in the wash is to not knit their mates, but the honest truth is that I have every intention of knitting their mates because they are beautiful socks and deserve to be worn in pairs.  I could just wear Dobby socks, but again, these are great socks and as much as I love that mischievous adorable House Elf, I like pairs of socks. 

I have decided that I will not cast on anything new until I am caught up with what is already on the needles.  Well, except the shawl.  That's a Big Project and complicated so I may end up having that as a work in progress even after I have finished everything else.  Oh and maybe after I finish the cabled summer sweater I will cast on another sweater project because one can't have just socks to knit.  And while I really shouldn't, I may end up casting on something with some of that sock yarn I got at Stitches before I forget all the cool things that Anna Zilboorg taught me in the sock class I took from her. 

See?  This is why I really think it has to be aliens!  No knitter in her right mind would have this many UFO's hanging around.  What is that green glow I see on the horizon.  Quick!  Hide your patterns.  The aliens are here.

Knitting in my office

My office is my writing space.  This is where I come to pen words.  I have a variety of dictionaries (my favorite being the Merriam-Webster's Compact Visual Dictionary - is very useful for answering the question, "What is that thingy called on a bell that makes it ring?").  I have books and magazines on the art of writing.  I have character development workbooks and books of quotations.  I have sticky notes for plot development.  My calendar is even one of women reading. 

Intertwined, though, in all these words are parts of my other life.  My knitting side.  For instance in the cup of pens, markers, pencils, and other office supplies are a pair of knitting needles and a crochet hook.  There is a ball of yarn on the desk as well.  I have a painting that my son made for me of sheep grazing on a field and I own a Sheep Incognito print (Silence of the Lambs) which hangs on my wall.  And then there is my Intwined Pattern Studios software on my computer.  It is the best knitting design software I have found on the market and Heatherly is one of my friends, so I love supporting her creation.  It is a great break sometimes from when I am at a loss for words.  I pick up my needles and will go cast on and try a new stitch or new cast on technique that I read about.  The other thing that I find myself doing in my office is watching movies on my laptop while I knit. 

Sometimes I think that I should limit my office to only writing, but this area has always been a space of art long before I decided to seriously put my stories into print.  When we first moved into this house I was deep into rubber stamping and so the remains of that craft are all over the shelves in this room.  I rarely use them anymore and keep thinking I'm going to drastically pare down the rubber stamp, inks, paper (oh the paper), and the plethora of embellishments and turn this little nook into a "real office and fiber arts design studio."  It's just hard to let go of stamps that I fell in love with.  I have Very Much money invested in all those wood mounted rubber stamps. 

I have this vision of having my stamps confined to a small area while the rest of the office is dedicated to books and knitting.  I'll have baskets of yarn on the shelves instead of paper cutters.  There will be all my needles, neatly organized instead of a jumble of colored markers.  I will replace the tool-turn-around full of spritzers and bone folders with knitting implements.  And the back wall will house even more books.  I should do it.  I have too much unused crap as it is.  Books would be used (I pull down my aforementioned visual dictionary at least daily).  Fiber would be used.  This space would become a place that fulfills me in so many ways than just writing and feeling peered down on by neglected and spiteful Past Crafts. 

The Sweater Survey

Alrighty roo cowgirls and cowboys! Here's a link to the survey. Please fill it out and pass the link on so I can get more sizes. For those who don't remember, back on April 25th (you do not need to remind me that that was nearly two months ago) I ranted about how sweaters didn't seem to be any kind of real size, so I wanted to know what people's sizes were.  Real people, not what Brand XYZ said a size is.  I was frustrated at how patterns for knitting never seemed to match up with what real people wore.  And that sweaters (in particular) seemed to be built around some odd formula that was applied to one size without test knits being done on other sizes.  So now I'm wanting to collect people's measurements.  You can remain anonymous.  I'm not going to come hunt you down with a measuring tape to verify, but I would appreciate if you are honest (you should be anyway because otherwise you knit sweaters for yourself that don't fit correctly). 

If you get a message that says something like "exceeded monthly limits" let me know and I'll send the survey to you another way. 

Thank you!

The Real Sizes Sweater Project

Are you frustrated at finding really pretty sweaters only to find that the only size the sweater will correctly knit into is not the one you need? You know what I'm talking about. It's a very lovely lace sweater and you get all excited when you see the size range is XS through 6X. Wahoo! Your size is somewhere in there. You find your size, check the finished sizes, print a copy, highlight your size, test your gauge (you are a good knitter after all and this is a garment that you want to fit) and cast on. And then five inches into your knitting you start thinking how this sweater is not knitting up like you expected. You whip out your measuring tape and check to make sure you are still knitting at gauge. Then you start measuring your work. It's three inches wider (or narrower) than it should be. In a fit of tears you recheck to make sure you were really knitting the correct size. You then start doing the math and realize that there is no way whatsoever that the designers numbers can create what s/he says they should be. 144 divided by 4.5 will never equal 44. Nor will 186 divided by 5 equal 34. The mat proves it.

When I went to Stitches South I found a very lovely short sleeved pullover knit up. I bought the pattern. I bought yarn. I even bought a brand new set of needles. I tested the gauge. I selected the size. I cast on. I knit for over four hours before realizing that this sweater was so large that I could wear it with at least one other friend at the same time. Then I realized that it wasn't my knitting. It was the designer. When I started doing the math for the other sizes I realized that the only size whose numbers matched the math was the one for the medium sized. I was heartbroken. I pulled the needles out and frogged the entire thing. I haven't decided if I am going to cast it back on in a different size.

This isn't the first time this has happened to me. And I know it happens to other knitters as well. I've heard the frustrated tales of woe at my Monday night Stitch n Bitch. Some people don't even quit at the five inch mark. They keep trusting the pattern and make the entire thing only to be frustrated with it and having to frog an entire garment. So after ranting about it and fussing about it for an entire night I decided to quit bitching and do something about it.

So this is where I need your help. I want to start a project that explores real people's sizes. Not just bust/chest and waist, but all your measurements. Starting tomorrow I am going to collect people's sizes. I'll have a survey for you to fill out and your measurements will be sent to me. This gives you time to find your measuring tapes. Tell your friends. Tweet the link to here. Put it on Facebook. Spread the word on Ravelry and at your local knit shop and knit nights. I want as large of a sampling of sizes as I can get. I'll keep everyone posted as I go along with what I discover.

Catching up!

First a report on Project 333. I think that Project 333 worked well for me until the seasons changed. We only have two really distinct seasons where I live and our cooler season runs from mid-late October to mid-late February. Our warmer season runs the rest of the year. In those two seasons we have some very cold days and some not quite so hot days. By February 20th I was having to dig out warm weather clothes and on March 10th I had to just relent that I wasn't going to make it another 3 weeks with the clothes that were in my closet, so most of my winter clothes have been boxed.

I've decided not to do Project 333 for the spring and summer, mostly because we have such a long time when we wear warm weather clothes. To stretch 33 garments out over 190 days or to have two "sets" of Project 333 clothes (a spring and a summer set) just doesn't make sense for me. However, I have learned a lot from Project 333 and how to approach my wardrobe. Currently I have 37 pieces (including shoes) in my closet to consider each day. However, this year's spring/summer wardrobe is much different from last year's. Things go together and when I go out shopping for new pieces, I truly keep in mind what I have in my closet and how things fit in there. My closet is much more versatile and with this losing weight venture I know it is going to change a bit. Fortunately, I wear more elastic waisted skirts and drawstring pants in the summer, so other than a new pair of jeans in a couple weeks I shouldn't need to buy too much to keep my wardrobe working.

I'm truly glad I did Project 333 this winter and may do it again this year, but starting in October through February and perhaps do a Project 355 (thirty-five pieces of clothes over five months). We'll see. For now I have a fairly well assembled closet that has quite a few pieces that mix and match easily giving me an appearance of a larger wardrobe than what is there.

In the world of writing, I've been doing mostly editing and revising lately. I took advantage of Create Space's NaNoWriMo offer and have a "proof copy" of my book. It's so pretty with it's cover and book title and author name all looking like a real book. I'm enjoying reading it in this format and finding things that need fixing. I may do this more in the future. I do have the next two books in my romantic knitting series mapped out. Now to find the time to sit and actually write them.

As I eluded to earlier I am working on shedding some unwanted pounds. I've lost right at twelve pounds so far, but it's my body shape that is the most odd. I've lost quite a few inches in my hips and bust and a bit in my arms and legs. However, my waist is still the same size it was when I started. It's very irritating because my pants are falling off everywhere except my waist. They sag and pucker and droop, but I can't get a different size because of my stupid waist. I know it will eventually come off but in the meantime it is a bit aggravating to wear any of my jeans.

And the only thing that I can say about knitting is that it is Sock Madness and I made it through round one! Hopefully round two's pattern will be released on Monday and I can begin knitting like a demon again.

Thoughts on Minimalism

I'm a minimalist at heart. I like things clean and neat. The things that I do have I like to be compartmentalized and orderly. I live with four other people who don't have these goals. I don't collect knick knacks. I truly have no use for them in my life. I think it comes from growing up in a house filled with knick knacks and expensive figurines (Hummels, LLadros and silk Japanese dolls) and being the one who had to dust them all the time. Every week without fail, each item had to be taken off the shelves. They had to be dusted. The shelves had to be dusted and polished. The figurines had to be put back on the shelves in the right place and angle. So I don't care too much for things that just sit there collecting dust. I'm an adult now. I can choose to dust or not. I choose not to very often.

While I have a lovely stash of yarn, I can't say that it is as large as other knitters. In fact I try not to purchase yarns just because they are on sale or because they are pretty. I have enough pretty sale yarn that I've yet to knit. As I said yesterday I have enough yarn that I can knit for several years without fear of running out, but I would eventually run out before I die. Actually long before I die. I don't, however, have a large stash of needles. I have Knit Picks' interchangeable set all in metal and with a few of the wood needles as well. I have a good collection of DPN's for sock, hat and mitten making. I have yet, though, found a need to purchase other needles just because they are "very cool" or "exotic." I don't need very cool or exotic needles. I just need solid dependable functional ones.

My kitchen is the same. I really don't have every gadget under the sun. Why? Many tools are multifunctional. For some reason I have a citrus press. I use quite a bit of citrus (I mean, come on, I live in the Sunshine State so citrus is fairly inexpensive). However, I mostly end up not using the citrus press. I just roll the lemon or orange around for a bit and then slice it in half and squeeze the juice out with my hand. Sure some seeds get in, but they are easily removed and I usually already have a cutting board and knife out so there is less work to do afterwards. I also got a new stove (remember the new stove that's flat top and shiny cobalt blue on the inside?) When I emptied out the old stove drawer I put all the things that were down there in a box. I've only removed three things from that box. I'm wondering why I have the rest of the items. In fact I think there are several lids to pots I no longer own.

I think the reason that I am drawn to Project 333 is not because my wardrobe is out of control, but for other reasons. In fact I had to purchase a few items to get to 33. Yes; I did box up quite a few things, but they are all things that have just been living in my closet for the past decade not being worn. I think that donating them when the weather warms will be much easier seeing as I have proven that I don't need them. What attracts me to this project is that I have some control over my wardrobe. I dress intentionally each day. I've created a wardrobe that lends itself to mixing and matching. I do believe that I can wear any two or three tops together without looking aesthetically offensive. It will also keep me from purchasing things just because I found them on the Beal's 70% off rack and it happened to fit with no regard as to whether it matches anything except my jeans.

I think that while I strive for minimalism in my life in some areas, there are other areas that will always be somewhat overfull. Books come to mind. I have shelves and shelves of books and boxes and boxes that don't fit on the shelves. I love my books. They are an indulgence. I also refuse to have minimalism in cuisine. I don't want to ever eat simply. I love flavour and colour and texture and aroma in my kitchen. I love filling my kitchen with beautiful and delicious food. I will never be able to eat simply to live. It's why I failed so badly at Weight Watchers. I would get into a rut with food and become bored and there were places where I just won't compromise when it comes to food. I will not give up real butter or homemade bread or honey.

Perhaps I am only a quasi-minimalist. I'm good with that. I like the things I like and limit the things I don't. I like finding new ways of simplifying my life, but at the same time I will always have boundaries of what is too stark and too missing in my life. One has to be happy with their level of minimalism and that is what is important. I believe in a reduction in consumption, but hold strongly that you should embrace the things you love. I will continue to embrace even while I reduce.

Starting Off

It's a new year. 2011. According to my daughter we have less than two years before the world explodes and the Mayan calendar proves true. Well, in that case I think we should live it up and go reckless. The logical side of my brain says that's not such a good idea and we should be a bit more practical. Of course it is my theory that the Mayan calendar ended on the Winter Solstice in the year 2012 because the person making the calendar got tired and decided to quit and besides, no one he knew was going to be living then anyway.

Many people make New Year Resolutions this time of year. You know like, "I'm going to lose thirty pounds, get my book published and post on my blog every day." Yeah, so as you can see if those were my goals I've already failed seeing as it is the third and I am just now getting around to posting for the first time this year. That's why I don't make New Year Resolutions. I do have goals. For instance I want to knit mostly from my stash. That's a good and attainable goal. And I want to make Mr. KCW that fisherman's sweater he's been asking for over the years. I want to finish organizing my kitchen and pare down the duplicity and unused items (like the twenty year old Kenmore mixer that doesn't work). I want to spend more time writing and less time fretting about writing.

I did begin Project 333 Saturday. I'll post weekly pictures rather than daily ones. It's nice to look in my closet and see everything hanging neatly. Although this morning I hung up the clothes I had washed last night and had a panic attack because I had an extra hanger and couldn't figure out what was missing. I then realized that I hadn't washed whites yet this week and so my white and silver striped shirt was not in the closet. I was about to blame Mr. KCW for putting extra hangers in my closet just to mess with me. (He'd do that, too if he thought of it.)

My current knitting endeavour is to finish my Triangle Lace Shawl (Ravelry Link). I've got six more daisy repeats to do and then the border lace. I'm using variegated yellow and gold beads and it is looking very pretty. All the other knitters who have made this shawl have expressed that it has blocked bigger than they would have thought. I hope so because I'm wanting a larger shawl. I'm planning how I want to incorporate this shawl into my spring Project 333 wardrobe. I'm thinking it will pair well with blues and tangerines, which is good because that's what I have a lot of in my summery wardrobe.

My current cooking endeavour is learning what Mr. KCW can eat and what with his new insulin pump. It's sort of putting a cramp on our regular meals which are generally rice or pasta based meals. Coming up with new meals that work with his needs has been challenging and we've had tried very interesting recipes that won't be revisited. We all seem to like the mustard encrusted steak (except for the vegetarian in the family).

And my current writing endeavour is revisiting a book that I lost and wanted to rewrite. It's actually coming along nicely. When I finish this project I am going to edit my NaNoWriMo novel from this year. And I'm reading about a billion books all at once. Room by Emma Donoghue is what entertained me for two hours last night when I couldn't sleep. I'm also reading Jane Eyre (I don't remember that book being 1600 pages), Portal by Imogen Rose and Interred with their Bones by Jennifer Lee Carrell. This is why it takes me forever to "read a book" because I keep switching from one book to another. I'd change this, but I've done this since I was a young child and somehow I've managed to keep all the plots organized. Apparently that is how I write as well.

So Happy New Year and may this be a good year for all of us. Keep up the writing, knitting and cooking. I know I am.