283 Projects

I wanted to make sure I posted a few things I've completed this Fall, before too much time has passed and I end up needing to post another giant catch-up blog...

SO, the baby pants and Danish socks from my earlier post are complete:

The finished product.

Months ago I fell head over heels for a blue-purple-red "Kitchen Sink Batt" at Downtown Yarns. I was super excited to spin it. But I was also less attached to an idea of what I wanted it to be than I am to some of the other fiber in my stash. This made it a good option for experimenting since, although I am not unskilled, the reality is that I am a novice spinner.

I mentioned in my last post that I am lucky enough to have Leti's Louet (S15) on long-term loan. And no, I absolutely could not avoid adding any additional alliterations.

You may have noticed that the blog has been languishing un-updated since the end of April. Lots of things have happened between then and now and unfortunately blogging has not been priority number one. In fact I've had a draft with that same opening sentence on the books for more than two months.

I should say though that the reason (or excuse) I have for not posting has been that we have been soooo busy since April. I started my new job in March and was working 7 days a week until the end of May, something I don't plan on ever repeating. In the meantime we were attending weddings left and right and then in June we took off for a Scandinavian Adventure (more on that below) and now were preparing to heard to Lahore for 10 days for yet another wedding. Whew!

Actually it's a lot classier than it sounds. I promise. Er, well, I guess you can decide.

This piece is knit with one strand of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky (Bing Cherry) and one strand Brushed Suri Alpaca from Blue Sky Alpacas, just like my Black & White Cowl.

One of the reasons I haven't been posting much lately, despite the fact that I have completed more than a few projects, is that I have started a new job and now find myself working 7 days a week! Whew!

But, I did finish my Peabody sweater just in time to wear it to my new office! Hooray! Here are some pics:

I have finally finished the scarf I made for Eli's brother. It took me about 4 months to complete. Granted, I did not work exclusively on it, it was my "hard" project and I knit a ton on "easy" projects during that time. I was also sick for most of January, which meant it got neglected. But anyway, I think I can say, with confidence that this scarf was the most demanding thing I have EVER knit. But boy does it look good!

I am hoping this will be my last "top-secret" project for a while. I hate not being able to blog about it until it's gifted! But anyway, I just finished (and gifted) an early birthday present for my dad: a BEAUTIFUL, warm, green and orange scarf from Jamie Harmon's 2-ply merino/angora yarn. This yarn is sold exclusively at Downtown Yarns or directly through Jamie (check out her website here).

This week I finished my first ever sample for Downtown Yarns! Rita asked everyone to make a chunky hat for a hats and pompoms window display. I have been wanting to make a snow-queen-esque stocking caps so this was a perfect opportunity! This guy is knit with two skeins of Malabrigo Chunky in Water Green. I added a little bit of white angora to the pompom for pizzaz. :)

W00t! New Years Day 2013! It's time for my annual look back at the year before and to set my goals for the new one!

In a lot of ways 2012 was a hard year for me, but somehow it just doesn't feel like it. It was filled with many big wonderful moments, but also sad ones. Eli and I moved into our first apartment together, a transition that was frighteningly seamless. I participated in the Out of the Darkness Overnight for the second time, raising over $4000.00 (thanks mostly to the generosity of the OKCupid staff and the customers of Thompson Chemists). It was held in San Francisco less than two-weeks after our move and was an wonderful, exhausting, emotional experience. In October we took a beach vacation (FINALLY) and spent a wonderful long weekend relaxing away the stress of knowing I was getting laid off in the next few weeks. And then I got laid off.

The holidays can be a stressful time for knitters. Many people find themselves inundated with requests from friends and family for hand-knit gifts; others get themselves in a pickle by underestimating the time it takes to complete all the gifts they want to give! So, my rule is generally one to two hand-knit projects a season. Last year Eli got socks and the cousins got Candy Cane Ponies (one also got a coffee cozy). The year before Aunt Meg got the prototype for the Tinsel & Garlands Mitts.

So this year I decided to make a hat for our dogwalker, and another project that must, at this moment, remain top-secret. I'm a little behind, but still confident I can finish on time(-ish).

Here are some pics of the dogwalker's hat:

During Sandy, we lost power for 5 days along with the rest of Lower Manhattan. We were very fortunate that our water did not stop running during the storm and that we are close enough to Midtown that we were able to get out and get charged everyday. Eli, Harley and I are very thankful.

I went to work only a little bit during the aftermath of the storm, and spent most of my time working on my Peabody. The first night of the blackout I made the mistake of trying to do the large lace panel by candlelight. Big Mistake. The next day I had to spend some time finding and correcting my mistakes. The sleeves, however, made great candlelight knitting so I ended up knitting the body for as long as I could and then when the sun got too low in the sky I would switch to the sleeves.

I imagine I'm not the only one knitting my way through Hurricane Sandy, but I do wonder how many other people might be spending their downtime knitting swatch after swatch without ever managing to get the right freaking gauge!

Recently, on Ravelry, I discovered the work of Laurel Roth, an incredibly talented multi-media artist (and former park ranger). I encourage you to check out her website, because the scope of her work is wonderful and much of it is not fiber related. But here, I just want to share with you a few images of her project "Biodiversity Reclamation Suits for Urban Pigeons."

This image is the one that hooked me; it's a Carolina Parakeet

While I was knitting away contentedly at mittens and hats and tiny things, I came across my Navajo shawl, tucked away with some leftover yarns. I completed it before I moved (in MAY!!!), but hadn't figured out how to block it in our new apt. We live in a studio and it's nearly impossible to keep the dog  from clambering over whatever I'm working on. But it occurred to me that the shawl might, just barely, fit on the table. I had bought some blocking squares (actually they're meant to go under carpets, T.J. Maxx, $19) so I thought to give it a shot.