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March 31, 2004
Introducing Princess Zoe
Once there was a wonderful little princess named Zoe. She was very smart and kind and helpful. Beloved by all who met her. However her royal subjects were unhappy. Despite all of her virtues she refused to eat rutabegas. This was a problem because her subjects just happened to be rutabega farmers. They tried tempting her with sauted, flambed, boiled, baked, mashed, and made into pie Rutabegas. She refused to have even one little bite. In the adjoining kingdom was a handsome prince who adored rutabegas and he thought it would be a good idea to meet, and perhaps wed, the princess from rutabega land. He immediately fell in love and was all set to marry the charming princess. Until.... he found out that his beloved refused to even look at a rutabega! This led to a universal quest to find a rutabega Princess Zoe would try. Many people from many lands came bearing heirloom rutabegas prepared in fantastical dishes. Finally Princess Zoe, who was if you recall very kind, relented and tried rutabega. She loved it. Princess Zoe became a rutabega fiend and lived happily ever after. Many such stories were bedtime fare in my household. Princess Zoe stories still get requested. Of course I do change the story every once in a while. It could be asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts what have you. Princess Zoe enjoys *all* vegetables and eats them with relish. Has since the tender age of 3 much to the amazement of extended family members who deal with reluctant, if ever, veggie eating children. Perhaps you have a princess[or prince] that needs a story. Feel free to borrow mine. Here is a picture of Princess Zoe:
And another of Princess Zoe waving to her royal subjects:
Posted by Elka at 02:56 PM | Comments (6)
March 30, 2004
STUFF
WARNING WARNING WARNING tons of pictures today. None of the promised shawl. Plenty to cheer up my friend Liz{I hope} Ok this part may not be that cheery since its *my* yarn and not hers. Actually what I got in the mail yesterday. From Alchemy Yarns the oddments from my poncho, some extra oddments to play with, and some mohair for a cowl. Work cowl not me, me, me cowl. Still Liz claims to like orange so here is a sunny picture for her:
Next a pair of socks from many angles. Oh NO my pretties I did not knit these. They were a gift several years ago from my Step-mother. Now Marian's mum was a spinner and weaver. Lotsa looms in her house. And world traveller as well. She gifted these socks to Marian who gifted them to me. They came only with the note that they came from her mum and that they were purchased in Mexico. Uh huh:
Did you notice the coarse kinda hairy yarn? The toe up and afterthought heel thingie? Mexican my arse. Here is another view:
And see how the knitter made slightly different motifs on the heel?
How about the slightly different use of color on leg?
Hope this cheers you up. Shawl tomorrow I guess.
Posted by Elka at 02:15 PM
March 29, 2004
Back to the Sockathon
I finished the shawl except for blocking and sewing in an end or two. Pictures of that tomorrow. Until then here is the beginning of NE to make a pair. This is a shot of the back pattern. I figure that if I knit one sock after every item I knit I should easily have 7 pairs by years end. I do worry that work schedule may thwart this grand plan. After all I usually have 3 or 4 work projects at any given time during trade show knitting period. End one begin the other with no rest between. Not even an overnight. Still thats the plan. Since trade show knitting is starting soon we shall see how deadlines influence the sock knitting. Have a great one you guys
Posted by Elka at 12:53 PM
March 27, 2004
You Won't Even Know Your Knitting
Trade show is mid June and I am expecting many projects soon. Be prepared to be enundated with pictures of new yarns and new projects. One project was described as so easy 'you won't even know your knitting.' A totally foreign concept for me as I struggle to meet deadlines while juggling the needs of 3 children. I know when I am knitting and I think people pay me to pay attention to what I am doing. I did not plan on knitting this week and in fact didn't think I was knitting. Instead I concentrated on assembling materials and doing homework for my Lucy Neatby classes next month. I hit a snafu to be explained laters since its not the gist of today's post. While I muddled with how to fix my snafu I, naturally, turned to knitting a row here and there. All of a sudden I find myself attaching the edging to the Meadow Flowers Shawl I started Sunday. Well what do you know? It is possible to not even know your knitting.
Posted by Elka at 02:32 AM | Comments (1)
March 23, 2004
Weekend Knitting
The extreem coupledom of past weekend is thanks to dropping the kidlets off at Todd's aunt's for an overnighter. An overnighter is almost always followed by Sunday dinner at said aunties. And Auntie dinners require travel knitting. 2 hours of sitting while Todd gossips with his aunt, the children play outdoors, and Grandma watches channel 2[the local Christian channel featuring 30 min vignettes of various moral delimas all aparently filmed in the 50's&60's] Socks, as anybody who knows me is well aware, are not my fave and would never fall under travel knitting. Nor was Reef with its multitudes of colors to be changed every row. Shawls, on the other hand, are the ultimate travel projects. Mostly made up of air they take little to no room and those requiring chart checking need only a quick glance to check how the long row should be worked. Ok for me a quick glance but then I have only been knitting simple shawls on large needles lately. So here it is: a brand spanking new and improved shawl WIP. Meadow Flowers Shawl from Knitters Stash pgs 22-25. The yarn is Lorna's Laces Heaven in Rock Hill. I had asked for the color called for 'Gold Hill' and was told there was no such color[per Beth who now owns Lorna's] but my shawl is ending up to look the same as the one pictured so I vote it a typo on pattern. I also think I have found an error probably already reported elsewhere: the pattern says to work to desired length ending with row 26 making sure you have a multiple of 6 holes per side. The pictured model ends with 181 sts which happens at the end of row 32. Ending at row 32 also [I think] gives you the multiple of 6 holes called for. My progress so far? I am at 109sts with 72 more rows to work. Not bad for a few hours of avoiding life lessons. Oh and for the Lint Police yes my dears this yarn comes from the to be knit shelf pictured earlier.
Posted by Elka at 12:45 PM | Comments (1)
March 22, 2004
Spring has Sprung
Happy Spring! Kinda chilly here and I believe others are suffering from cold weather but still its spring. Yipieeeeeeeeeee. My favorite season-flowers, sun, and usually warming temps. Not much knitting to report over the weekend. Last weds[yes St Patrick's Day] was my 9th anniversary so we spent Saturday and Sunday being couple-y. I did manage to just finish my sock. Yes its true. I am 1/14th the way through the annual 7 pairs goal. Actually I am not really through since I still need to sew in many many yarn ends and wash. But hey its picturable. The reason I had so many yarn ends is: my Koigu had 4, yes 4, very weak areas where only a few fibers were holding everything together. So far I am not overly impressed with Koigu quality controls. Still I hold out hope that this was a fluke. The sock took just under 1 hank of yarn. Just a foot or so left over. Mind you I have very short and wide feet. The pattern is New England Socks from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road. I modified it slightly: short row heels and toes ala PGR. I am thinking that short rowing the heel requires one to knit less foot length. Any sock pros out there know the answer? The pattern calls for 7 diamonds, which I dutifully knit, but my feet only needed 5.5 diamonds. I was ripping out the weekends knitting at 1 am and did the toe this morning. Anyway back to my short row causing less in the round post heel knitting required theory. I checked Folk Socks by NB and she states that for the peasant heel[the closest possible one listed being done post sock knitting and using a contrasting yarn knit in accross heel sts] that the avg foot requires 4" between contrasting thread and toe shaping. Since the avg foot, per her patterns, seems to be 7.5" and one starts the toe 2" prior to that...? Has anybody fallen so in love with a pattern that they knit it using a regular heel flap and then again with the short rowed heel? If so speak up.
Posted by Elka at 04:21 PM | Comments (4)
March 19, 2004
Lint sux
Ok I shouldnt' say that but its true. I hate not shopping and my birthday is coming up. I spend hours and hours surfing for what I am not allowed to purchase for myself. Yesterday I was saved from some wine colored merino laceweight thanks to Angela having just sent me some cormo, cashmere, alpaca laceweight. Still shopping is on my mind. Even tho I am also busily working on Reef and the New England Socks. Reef for when Nece is asleep and Socks when she is awake. Works for me. See that yarn? I was gifted with that lovely Koigu over a year ago and have been thinking of making these. I am also in sockathon mode having vowed to knit myself 7, yes 7 pairs, of socks. Don't keel over laughing yet you guys. I have managed to turn the heel of the socks I am working. Only 1/28th done with my annual goal! Yipieee. So I decided to break down and pick up some patterns and some dark green or even better aubergine solid koigu to coordinate with the above. Since I have lost the tag o so many moons ago the picture and this post is to help the boys See what a helpful shopper I am? OK I am making excuses and justifying but darnit Lint SUX
Posted by Elka at 02:45 PM
March 18, 2004
Halfway done
Here is a cheesy shot of the shawl I have been working on. I started to block it and the lovely Nece decided she just had to hang out with me. I am about halfway through the blocking. I need to stick some more pins in and then start measuring and neatening. You can't see that? Here is a corner shot and you can clearly see the unpinned portion:
I need to find myself somebody that relishes the thought of breaking their back and puncturing their fingers while pinning out my lacies. Until then I am shelving the whole blocking concept for a while and will post a FO picture in gallery if and when I can at the very least get pins into every point.
Posted by Elka at 02:37 PM | Comments (3)
March 17, 2004
Onward Ho
I finished the shawl and it is soaking in a tub. The next WIP soon to be FO is Reef for Ashley who snuck into the picture. One more chart repeat then ribbing on sleeve and neck/front bands left to do. Shawl picture tomorrow--reef coming up. BTW if you are wondering why I am contemplating the domino sweater instead of Lint Project yarns gotcha--the yarns not slated for anything in basket just happen to be Rowan DLT and domino calls for DLT. I am *not* cheating. Really!
Posted by Elka at 12:01 PM | Comments (2)
March 15, 2004
Please Assist
I stayed up very late every night this weekend in hopes of finishing my blue shawl but alas and alack no. Sometime later this week it *should* be done. Until then I am contemplating my next major project-the cover sweater from IK Spring '97 designed by Vivian Hoxbro. I have liked this sweater since the issue first came out and socked away the yarns called for:
After many times starting this sweater I decided I don't particularly care for light seafoamy blue color. I thought, when collecting the yarns, the acid was icky but have fallen in love with it in conjuncture with all the other colors. Definitely the pale blue is the one giving me the willies. I am also one of those color unsure type of knitters. So please give me your take on these two other alternate colorways I have come up with. NOTE the yarns in the color alternates were discontinued long before Hoxbro sat down to combine her color combo. They come from the Rowan Donegal Brights range:
or the even longer gone Rowan Light Tweed range:
PLEASE PLEASE shout out. Thanks
Posted by Elka at 12:42 PM | Comments (7)
March 11, 2004
THE LINT PROJECT
Last Year Sheila-mama coined the phrase Lint Project and I took it upon myself to send nice support messages. This year some of the previous 'linters' decided to go on a yarn diet/lint again and asked that I send reminders. I am really BAD at sending reminders. PLUS I never purposefully plan on abstaining from yarn purchases. However there is a lint support group which is kinda defunct due to yahoo blips. A new mailing group can be found here tho I strongly recommend going to the first and reading the archives. I am strictly in intervention mode right now. Even tho I am not officially 'linting' I am in the cleaning up my yarn room mode. Above you see the least cluttered area. It used to be one of those conference tables[snagged from my darlings workplace when they were moving and refurnishing] overcrowded with yarn and boxes of yarn underneath. I *needed* to have a sense of room and light. In addition to needing room I decided not to purchase any more yarn until I cleared the above area. What do you see?
These are the listed WIPs from last month[some changes of course I finished 3 count em 3 work things since]. The socks on top of doily from last week, the Reef cardigan, the blue shawl, and a basket of yarns not earmarked for anything. Clearing this one little shelf is top priority. Next to it we have:
My drum carder, a felted basket I made filled with yarn, and several projects worth of yarn. I have my work cut out for me. No Yarn for Me til this area is cleared out. Actually I told myself anything I break down and purchase will go onto this longer shelf to be knit up promptly but I can just see myself ignoring all the other yarn in the way cluttered areas of room. And ack Maryland. I can buy yarn and stuff at Maryland but feel free to police my yarn purchases. What? Your concentrating on Me Me Me knitting instead of work? Whatever happened to the Alchemy Yarns Poncho? Its done silly.
Posted by Elka at 10:56 AM | Comments (1)
March 09, 2004
Whites
My darlingest upgraded my computer this weekend and didn't get it up again til 1 am! So two days worth of stuff combined. Above you see the center of Siberian Winter Shawl designed by the Wool You Order aka Two Old Bags design team. I purchased my kit from Catherine Knits in NY but you can find the patterns and kits at Blackberry Ridge. The center strikes me as the same one they use in 'Faux Orenberg Shawl' in Gathering Of Lace but I haven't actually compared the charts. Want more pics?
The edging:
The Full Shawl[kinda]:
Again not the worlds best blocking job but eh--I do have a baby so time is at a premium. Also this weekend I worked on my sock. Thank heavens it wasn't stained by the coke incident. Big overexposed pic:
Now what am I trying to show you in this picture other than my nifty marker and extra shawl shot? Well its a very elegant heel turning with the 'heel st' turning to flow down onto bottom of sock. But whats this? Is that my finger filling up the heel? Why yes thank you for noticing. I measured it and the base of the heel, the bottom part at least, is not quite an inch accross. Now I know my feet are wide but does anybody in the world have a heel that measures less than an inch accross? I seem to recall knitting booties, not so long ago, that were that wide accross bottom at heel area. My gauge is right on--9spi so its not that and I quadrupal checked the written instructions. So my big questions are, should any sock knitting pros be checking in; Why knit a special reinforcing stitch at heel area if your gonna stretch it out the wazoo just to cup the heel?, Surely the heel flap post turning is supposed to cup the heel--right?, and lastly Who wants to whimper rip so that I can do my handy dandy short row heel?
Have a great one you guys.
Posted by Elka at 09:08 AM | Comments (4)
March 06, 2004
Weekend Fun
You're The Dictionary!
by Merriam-Webster
You're one of those know-it-all types, with an amazing amount of
knowledge at your command. People really enjoy spending time with you in very short
spurts, but hanging out with you for a long time tends to bore them. When folks
really need an authority to refer to, however, you're the one they seek. You're an
exceptional speller and very well organized.
Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.
hmmmmmmmmmm I do not consider myself very organized nor am I an exceptional speller. I retook the test changing I feel Old answer and got this:
You're A Prayer for Owen Meany!
by John Irving
Despite humble and perhaps literally small beginnings, you inspire
faith in almost everyone you know. You are an agent of higher powers, and you manifest
this fact in mysterious and loud ways. A sense of destiny pervades your every waking
moment, and you prepare with great detail for destiny fulfilled. When you speak, IT
SOUNDS LIKE THIS!
Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.
Posted by Elka at 01:53 PM | Comments (2)
March 04, 2004
NEWSFLASH
I was all prepared to knit enough for a photo and cheerful expose of my post ick knitting. I have found confessing [or ranting] lets all negative stuff out and allows one to proceed in good humor. But what should my darling Nece do? Overturn a full glass of coke onto my doily and sock--both artfully** arranged for daylight photo-op. I can only thank the heavens that the poncho was on the bed with me instead of the little bookcase//nightstand. Expect something such as 'my how time has flown' when I reblock the doily--I *did* say 5 years after all--and cross your fingers my socks are not permanently stained. Both items are soaking in a tub of soapy water.
** I must confess I never touched a camera until after I started this blog so a few weeks ago. I try to be artful and thank you for not saying otherwise.
Posted by Elka at 11:03 PM | Comments (1)
ICK
Its been raining for 3 days now and I accidentally left the car door open after my emergency run to grocer for pins trip of ummm Mon was it? I would KILL for some sun btw. Never mind the car. And Nece is sick-has been for over a week. Zip Zero Zilch knitting. I almost blocked something but I have learned my lesson. And if all this isn't depressing enough for you what should I come accross? Marti. Thats what. How totally creative is this chick? Argh. Why can't I be so creative? To take some totally FAT yarn and spin it into something a real knitter would use.
Speaking of Fat yarn, and yes I have been thinking about it lately, I think something is amiss in knitland. I signed up for a Finishing Class with Lucy Neatby. I have no clue if I got in or not. What does this have to do with Fat Yarn? Get this:"Seam with no bulk or fabric loss..." HOW is this possible? Yes I started wondering how how how and while my mind was shuffling over all my past readings/swatches for a tech that would result in no bulk or fabric loss the devil's advocate murmered 'what if: your gauge is 2spi and...' mattress st would take in 2 inches/1 from each side OR crochet tog seam would result in 1 inch total OR.... you get the picture. If I get into this class poor Lucy is gonna be called upon to live up to those words. I am saving the blurb to wave in front of her face. ....no bulk or fabric loss
Pray it stops raining soon please. I am getting *itchy
Posted by Elka at 01:49 PM | Comments (2)
March 03, 2004
Non Fun Blocking
Yesterday I discovered that blocking is becoming more and more difficult as I have more and more children. First there is the challenge of finding a large enough clear [and non stained] expanse of floor. Then there is the issue of time. For example I couldn't locate my T-pins so had to do an emercency run to grocers for dressmaker pins. Then I put Nece to sleep and started pinning. Of course she woke up in the middle and discovered that playing with pins is apparently the height of fun. Something to do with mom saying 'no baby' and carting her accross the room to be followed by scuttling back to the half blocked doily. I had to get her to fall back asleep. Once that was taken care of I decided to employ my handy dandy Zonta Dressing Wires. Much speedier. I am not totally pleased since IMO the beauty of lace relies heavily upon hours of painstaking measuring and pinning. Of course Lace is always lovely irregardless but its not up to my typical standard. I will try reblocking in about 5 years when Nece is off to school. Maybe I will find my T-pins by then?
Posted by Elka at 10:25 AM | Comments (6)
March 02, 2004
Saved from the Frog Pond
AKA an attempt to show you something other than the poncho:
I knit this little thingie- Teva Durham's Leaf Cravat [IK Winter '02/3]- over a day or two with some stash yarn. I didn't much care for it and in fact decided it looked more like a Snake than a Leaf. 
Sorry I refuse to wear a snake wrapped around my neck. Anyway I put it in a basket to rip at some later date. Last week my darlingest Zoe helped me clean up the huge mess I made in my yarn room while looking for the lace pattern. What should catch her attention? The snake, ummm I mean the leaf cravat. She promptly wrapped it around her neck a few times and grabbed those ends to strike a pose ala Daryl Hannah on cover of whatever that scarves book is that I wouldn't buy if my life depended on it. Please Please Pleaaaaaaaaaase mommy she emplored with a occasional bouncing on toes between this twirl and that twirl. Of course its been rescued. Note to self: rip all snakes before 8 year old spots them. And yes Zoe sees a snake too.
Posted by Elka at 10:45 AM | Comments (1)
March 01, 2004
Poncho Update
Well I am half way done with the poncho. I actually was so enjoying the knitting I had to rip back 3" doh. Here is a picture from a different angle so that you can see the fringe which is worked as you knit. Well you leave a tail and knot every 5 strands at the end. Being Me I did it as I was knitting so that the edge stayed neat and tidy. I hope you alls are having an enjoyable knit
Cheers!
Posted by Elka at 12:28 PM | Comments (1)