Yarn and Chocolate

My apt building on a gorgeous Sunday morning.


There's been lots of spinning.



New fiber. Kid mohair/merino in color Blueberry Patch from Susan's Spinning Bunny

A little knitting. The sock is already pretty long, but I'm gonna keep knitting until I run out of yarn.




My stash from the NY Chocolate Show. Mostly gifts so I'm not tempted to eat every piece in the apt, tho I did save a little bit for myself. I never thought I'd see the day where I'd turn down chocolate because I couldnt eat another piece. Yummmm.

Mittens!!

OK, its November and I'm going to try and post more regularly, at least for the duration of SP11 but hopefully even afterwards because its fun to have a journal of my knitting projects.

I finished mittens this morning. They're the first project I've knitted up with my very own handspun. Normally I'm not a huge fan of mittens, but I lost all my gloves last winter and its been pretty cold. Plus the yarn matches my coat. The mittens look a little odd. They're a little square on top, probably because I designed them without checking other mitten patterns first. They're also a little long. I originally planned to make wrist warmers, but changed my mind in the middle and didnt want to rip them out. Oh well. They're still fun.

Another Post

I've been really really bad about updating my blog. Apologies all around. I'm feeling overwhelmed and stressed out at work. To make things more frustrating my internet connection is fritzy and keeps disconnecting. But enough of my complaining. I could go on all night. I spent the day at a client in a windowless conference trying to crunch out numbers. Now I'm off to take a well needed walk. I will try to do better in November, really I promise.

Fiber into Yarn

It so exciting to see fiber transformed into yarn. I've been spinning more than knitting lately. Theres something about the rhythm of drafting the fiber and letting the spin travel up thats so hypnotic and soothing. Even after 5 or 10 minutes I feel calmer, which I really need. I finished the brown BRL that was on the bobbin. There's another 250 yds. Maybe there'll be enough for a shawl, although I dont seem to have a lot of patience for shawls. But thats another story. I'm not sure the WPI of the fiber, but its probably no more than a worsted weight.

The fiber from Blarneyarn was a little bit more coarse that the brown, maybe because the brown isnt dyed. Once I stopped trying to make perfectly even yarn the spinning went much more quickly. I really had fun spinning it. Go figure.

I'm also making progress on the Thuja sock. Just started turning the heel. Progress feels very slow but its nice to be making socks again.

Knitting Updates

I finished the blue cardigan. Its Reynolds chunky alpaca, my own design. I love it when something I designed actually fits!! But I'm very disappointed because its a warm sweater and we're having unusually warm weather for October. I'm not much of a fan of cooler weather but I really want to wear the sweater. Its supposed to cool off a little next week maybe then I can show it off!!

There's the wonderful yarn from my secret pal. The sock itch is finally being satisfied without having to use those tiny sock needles that bother my hands. The yarn is Artful Yarn Handpaint Stripes and I started making toe up Thuja socks. Its very soft and striping up nicely.

I bought some BFL roving from Blarneyyarn. I love the colors but its the first time I'll be spinning variegated yarn and I'm a little concerned about how the colors will be broken up. Maybe its time to start dying my own fiber.....I havent started spinning it yet because I want to finish the fiber on the wheel. I'm hoping to have around 500 yards when I finish but have no idea what to do with it yet. Its very exciting to finally spin fiber that looks like yarn.

Blue Cardigan

Here's the latest progress on the blue cardigan. Once I decide where to place the buttons I hope to start the other button band, maybe next weekend. I cant decide about the collar. I'm hoping for some stroke of inspiration.

sp11 questionaire #2

1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without?
really sturdy project bags
2. If you're heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you? If so, how much and what type of project?
my last vacation i took lace socks and a lace shawl. i only worked on the lace shawl.
3. Where have you travelled to that you'd consider your favorite spot?
i loved paris. i'm thinking about going back for christmas 2008.
4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment? Do you own it?
my 2 favorite knitting books are knitting without tears by elizabeth zimmerman and vogue knitting, both of which i own.
5. Do you listen to podcasts? Which is your favorite(s)?
lately i've been listening to knitpicks podcast, lets knit2gether, travel with rick steves, autism podcast and bon appetit
6. If you could only knit with 1 color for the rest of your life, what color would that be?
blue
7. If you were far into a project and then noticed a mistake near the beginning what would you do?
depends on what the mistake was and how noticeable it was. if it affected how the project fit then probably. if it was in the pattern probably not. i'm trying to be less of a perfectionist and go with the flow more.
8. Where is the most unsual spot you've ever knit?
in the recovery room after minor surgery, dressed in hospital gown and all. i dont think i knit very much but it was very soothing after.

Surprise

Friday was the 2nd day at the new job and I'm feeling so overwhelmed. Its been so many years since I've done anything even resembling the type of work I'm going to be doing. Its going to be such different work environment bouncing around from client to client. Especially for me because I having a routine. Maybe this wasnt such a good career move...

I got home and found a package waiting for me from my Secret Pal!! I was so excited to see what goodies were waiting for me. My Secret Pal is awesome. She sent me a "got yarn?" totebag, perfect for carrying around sweaters in progress, sheep post-its, reallu nice Fleece Artist sock yarn, a notepad "my wishlist for the yarn fairy" and a subscription to IK!! Knock me over with a feather. It made my entire day.



This is giving me incentive to finish the blue cardigan already so I can make something with the new yarn. I still have to be careful with my hands. But I might need a travel project because my commute will be longer, depending on where the clients are located. I really miss knitting on the train.



Patches was pretty excited too.

UFO to WIP!!

It was a very busy Labor Day weekend. I went to my Mom's. We shopped 'til we dropped and ate out every night. I gotta cut out those desserts or I'll never have any clothes that fit.

A little stash enhancement. It was on sale. Its my favorite pinks, the picture doesnt do it justice. Maybe the Forest Canopy Shawl but not before I finish the Swallowtail, which is going slowly.

I also picked up a UFO from last winter. I had to stop because my hands were so dry from the winter that the wool was cutting into my hands. I finished the body last year and most of the sleeves. I've been having trouble getting the sleeves on sweaters to be long enough but I think I finally got the length right on the 1st sleeve and there are about 20 rows left on the other. I also sewed the shoulder seams. Its a sweater of my own design so I've been making it up as I went along. I'm considering a double crochet border for the buttonholes because I hate picking up stitches for ribbing. Plus it goes more quickly than knitting a ribbed edge. Maybe I'll finish it by the time its cool enough to wear.

Tomorrow is the big day when I start the new job. I'm a little anxious, a little excited. Hope I can sleep tonight because morning will be much earlier than at my previous job.

Oops

Guess I hit the wrong key and published that oh so riveting post. I've been very industrious lately, knitting and spinning away. I picked up Clapotis again. I forgot how mindless it is. Perfect for knitting group, TV watching. Its also not too taxing on the wrists. Slow and steady win the race..... A little progress on Swallowtail shawl. I wish I could knit more but I dont want to re-injure myself. Barbara from the knitting group said it took her wrists 6 mos to heal!!

I've also been spinning. It bothers my hands less. What a spin-tastrophe that was. I kept breaking the fiber, I think because there was not enough twist. After several attempts I finally couldnt even find the end to re-join. I thought maybe another fiber would be easier. But when I took the bobbin off the wheel the top thingee came off the bobbin. I ripped the yarn off the bobbin hoping to try again. I went rummaging through the stash. There was fiber everywhere.

Finally I was able to draft the brown BFL. Even more amazing was the realization that it was so much easier to let the twist travel up the drafted fiber instead of trying to spin and draft the fiber at the same time. Duhh. I finally settled down and me and the BFL have been getting along pretty well now. The fiber has been returned to its original hiding place and order has returned.

Well maybe not to the entire apt. I promised myself I'd organize my papers before I started the new job but thats less than 2 weeks away...

I've been baking a lot too, which no doubt is contributing to my inability to fit into several pairs of pants. It could be worse. It could have been Haagen Daz. This is a little GF fruit crisp. The topping is another Rebecca Reilly recipe using GF corn flakes, brown rice flour and butter. Yummm

More

So much to talk about

Warning: There are lots of non-knitting pictures. I'm still having problems with editing and uploading pictures. No matter what I do there is still too much white space. Anyhoo...

At the beginning of August I went on a cruise to the Caribbean for 7 days with my Mom. The boat was huge but didnt feel as crowded as expected. I was seasick the entire time. My inner ear is screwed up from a head injury about 10 yrs ago. I couldnt do much except read, knit a little, sit in the hot tub and eat constantly. It was a constant challenge to find GF good but somehow I managed.

The Swallowtail shawl and Mom enjoyed the balcony. It made me dizzy to look.

In Nausau we went on a boat tour of the islands and saw huge houses owned by Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise etc. We also went in a mini submarine to see the protected coral reefs. The pics didnt come out very well. After about 20 minutes it started to get very warm and I was sea sick once again. There wasnt much to do in Nausau because it was a national holiday and most of the stores and restaurants were closed. We went to the Straw Market but you cant bring in straw products because they carry red mites and I was tired so we went back to the boat and sat in the hot tub for a while before dinner.

I loved Bermuda. We were scheduled for a 5 hour bus tour, but the bus was overbooked. We ended up in a mini-van with 4 other passengers on a private tour with Earl who knows just about everything there is to know about the island. This is view from Fort St Catherine and from the shore at one of the beaches. The water is gorgeous. I'm hoping to go back to Bermuda and lie on the beach for a week sometime soon.

The towel bunny looking particularly dapper in Mom's sunglasses.



It felt good to be back on dry land. We missed most of the awful weather that hit NYC, including the tornado in Brooklyn. Havent had a twister hit since I was a kid living in Topeka KS.

Waiting for me was a package from my Sockapalooza pal!! Briana is 14y.o. (soon to be 15!!). Not only did she make these gorgeous socks but she sent me hand-dyed yarn. Plus a hand-typed letter. Who bothers to take the time to hand write anything anymore. I was so touched!! Love the socks. Cant wait to find a new project for the yarn!! Thanks Briana!!

There was also an email for with job offer letter. The new job will be a major career change. I'll be going back to accounting after an almost 10 yr hiatus, since I started working my present job. Its in a sector I've never worked before but its a tremendous opportunity with lots of growth potential if I can survive the learning curve. It will mean more hours, less money, fewer benefits......but sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward. The hardest part will be having to find a new therapist. The woman I;ve been seeing for the past 3 yrs has helped me more than I can find words to describe, but I have some money saved so I wont have to change right away. I start the new job Sept 6. I gave notice at the old job this week. My boss took it hard, he teasingly called me a traitor. Now I'm just marking time, reading accounting books and knitting blogs until my last day. Then the real fun begins.

In the meantime, summer's here and the produce is gorgeous. I've been cooking and baking all weekend. I think I missed being able to cook for myself on the cruise and it was comforting to not have to worry about whether the food would bother me or not. Here are some pics of what I've been cooking lately.

Tomatoes, rolly polly squash, ground turkey, red onion, garlic, a splash of red wine vinegar to deglaze the pan, Tinkyada rice pasta.

Tomatoes, rolly polly squash, fresh corn, eggs, red onions, garlic. I learned a neat trick from Ina Garten on the Food Network. (Watching marathon cooking shows is a major guilty pleasure.) Adding butter when the eggs are done is supposed to stop the cooking process so they dont get over-cooked. I'm not sure if it worked but butter makes everything taste great.

I made Bette Hagman's Butter Basted White Bread in the bread machine. Sorry no pics. I had to eat it immediately after it was cool enough so I didnt burn my tongue, about 5 secs after taking it out of the pan.

Also, blueberry cake/cupcakes from Rebecca Reilly's Gluten Free Baking. Her recipes are either fantastic or terrible, nothing in between. These werent too sweet. Very moist and dense, like gluten cake. I think its the almond flour. I had to bake them la few minutes longer than the recipe called for because they were a little wet. I think the almonds I ground in the food processor werent fine enough to absorb all the liquid. The tiny pieces of almonds did add a nice texture. I'd definitely make them again.

SP11

I'm back from vacation...more on that later. First things first, the Secret Pal 11 questionaire. I'm not good at writing about myself, but here goes.



1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like



I love yarns that are soft and feel yummy. My favorite sock yarn is Koigu KPPM (whats not to like:). I think merino wool is my favorite. I'm very sensitive to yarns that are scratchy, esp wools. Right now I'm in love with Handmaiden Sea Silk.


2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?




I store my straight knitting needles in a cloth needle case, which works out pretty well. My circulars are all stuffed into a drawer in the cabinet where I store my knitting supplies. I've tried other ways of storing them but they get all squooshed up and the cables get kinked. Any suggestions for organization would be greatly appreciated!!



3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?



I started knitting when I was a teenager but stopped after making a garter scarf for my mom that was so stiff she could barely wrap it around her neck. I think I use some sort of bulky acrylic yarn which might have been the problem. I picked it up again about 8 yrs ag. Moorehouse yarn used to have a booth at the farmer's market near my apartment and they were selling scarf kits. The woman there taught me the basics. The rest I picked up on the internet. I'm somewhere between intermediate and advance knitter, but I'm more of a process knitter so I dont always have the patience to try new techniques. Then again, I swore I'd never knit lace because the charts seemed too complicated, and now I'm hooked so I'm trying to keep an open mind.



4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?



No.



5. What's your favorite scent?



Lavender and peppermint.



6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?



Love love chocolate. But I am gluten intolerent so that limits a lot of what I can eat.

Favorites: Choco-love brand with orange peel, chocolate covered ginger, hershey's milk chocolate.



7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?



Love to spin though I'm not very good at it yet. I do a lot of cooking and baking. I aspire to be a foodie but there is so much to learn.




8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)



I'm not a huge music fan, mostly jazz, classical, nature sounds. Anything soothing. I listen to a lot of podcasts, mostly about knitting, travel and cooking.



9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?



This one is easy. Love purples, blues, pinks. Teal is nice. Hate neon colors, esp orange and yellow.



10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?



I live alone with my dog Patches.



11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

As long as they're not scratchy



12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?



Anything lace esp socks. I'm knitting my first shawl and I'm loving it.




13. What are you knitting right now?



Right now I'm working on the IK Swallowtail Shawl in lavender Handmaiden SeaSilk. I'm also working on Clapotis



14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?



Yes.



15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Circular addie turbos are my favorites. For slippery yarn I usually use my plastic Denise interchangeables.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

Not yet.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

I usually get frustrated with my UFOs and rip them out. I have several that I havent finished ripping out yet....though I dont necessarily re-knit anything with the yarn. The very oldest UFO that I havent ripped out is about 3 y.o.



18. What is your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving

19. Is there anything that you collect?

No

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

My wish list:
knitpicks options needles
Victorian Lace Today
Interweave knits subscription - I've just been too darned lazy to fork over the $24
IK Favorite Socks

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn

I'd love to learn mosiac slip stitch knitting and maybe intarsia or fair isle. Color work seems a little bit intimidating. I want to get better at making sweaters that actually fit.



22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements

I knit socks, but not as much as I used to. My foot measurements:

9 inches length

8 inches ball of foot

9 inches ankle
size 7 1/2 shoe

23. When is your birthday?

Jan 5.

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? No

Finished Socks!!

Its a glorious day. I finished the sockapalooza socks!! Here are the sock stats:

Badcaul socks

Koigu KPPM

Wendy's toe up cast-on and gusset heel gusset - Method #1 is now my favorite toe up.

Single crochet bind-off

I also finally kitchenered (is that a word??) monkey sock #2. I wish I could remember where I put sock #1.....

Now maybe I'll give my hands a rest. Naaa...who am I kidding. The swallowtail shawl is calling me. Maybe I should join the KAL??

Sometimes the yarn wins.

It started innocently enough. One trip to LYS to buy something for my Sockapalooza pal. Just buy a bottle of Eucalan. Mistake #1. I looked at the sale yarn. Just browsing. I saw yarn I really loved in my favorite colors, but I resisted and walked away. I had a brilliant idea to make a shrug. I could see it in my head. I even found a pattern. I went back the next day and picked up a few balls of it. Mistake #2. I've never worked with ribbon yarn. How hard could it be, right? I was feeling depressed, about nothing in particular. It was Friday. I felt a little disappointed about not hearing back about a job I had applied for. Ok, a lot disappointed. Three skeins of yarn should be enough for something. Isnt it pretty?



Mistake #3. Went to another LYS. found some glittery yarn that went perfectly the ribbon. It was 50% off....At least I only bought one skein.

The woman in LYS #2 warned me that ribbon yarn gets twisted. I was feeling invincible. I swatched. It looked perfect. I started the shrug.
Mistake #4. I didnt swatch the dropped stitches. How hard can that be? Well, turns out the ribbon yarn got stuck at the join on the circular needles and I couldnt move the stitches forward. I tugged at the yarn. I cajoled, pleaded, tried to untwist it. Nothing. There may have been some cursing and throwing of yarn against the nearest wall. My neighbors are probably horrified. Resistance is futile. The yarn always wins. I cut my losses and started again. Maybe something simple like a lacy scarf. No circulars. Bigger needles. No success. More cursing and ripping out of yarn. Now I have a lovely pile of yarn on my kitchen floor. Maybe LYS #1 will exchange the unused skeins of yarn. It would be cruel to give this to another unsuspecting knitter. I could hide it in my stash and teach it a lesson...

Patches decided it was safest to hide until I put the yarn away.

On a lighter, calmer note, the sockapalooza socks are almost finished. Just a few rows of ribbing left. Hopefully Elizabeth Zimmerman's sewn cast-off wont be too vexing.

A couple of weeks ago I bought some Handmaiden Sea Silk in purple. The Sea Silk is soft and has a nice shimmer to it. Its the perfect yardage for IK Swallowtail Shawl. No tantrums yet.

Restaurant Week!!

Last week I took off from work to hang around. Even though I stayed at home I wanted it to feel like a vacation so no computer or email for an entire week. I spend most of my day at work on a computer so it was such a relief. I didnt plan the timing at all but for my luck it was Restaurant Week which means that +100 fancy restaurants have prix fixe lunch for $24.07 and dinner for $35. I had lunch out 5 days in a row!! More amazing I was able to find 5 restaurants with food on the menu that didnt interfere with my wheat intolerance. Monday at Le Cirque. Amazing service. I mistakenly ordered bottled water, which was highly over-priced, but the waiter poured it for me throughout the mail. The food was pretty amazing too. The creme brulee is a must order. Tuesday was at Brasserie 8 1/2. I think it was on Sex in the City but I dont remember. What a fun restaurant!! The food was great. The banana creme caramel was to die for. Could you tell I have a bit of a sweet tooth?? Wednesday was Tocqueville, third day in a tow of French food. Amazing watermelon soup with feta cheese and cucumber. Gotta love it. Thursday was a bit of a disappointment. The 21 Club is highlighly over-rated. It reminded me of an upscale version of the bars I used to go to right after I graduated college. The food was pretty awful too. Oh well. Friday I went to a small Mediterranean restaurant called Trio, sorry no website. Very tiny about 10 tables but the service was great and so was the food. The beef tenderloin with a light cheese sauce (I forget the name of the cheese) was fabulous. I did some serious window shopping, got a makeover and my first ever pedicure, went to the Rubin Museum exhibit about the Dalai Lama. He's such an amazing person. I even did some long neglected housework!!

This is me after the makeover. Dont I look fabulous!! After I took the picture I immediately went and washed all the gook off my face. It was such a relief. Maybe I'm not cut out for looking glamorous.




In knitting news. The first sock for Sockapalooza4 is almost done. Just have the cast-off to do. I'm going to work on it this weekend since I need to be able to concentrate. I'm going to try a new cast-off technique because a regular bind-off is never stretchy enough but I havent decided which one yet. I'm in the home stretch on sock #2. 8 more repeats up the leg and then the ribbing. I'll just be done in time. I need to send them out early because my sock pal is international.





I've been spinning and finished my first yarn!! Its not a great picture. The fiber is a black/brown color so its almost impossible to see it but I'm very pleased with myself. I'm not sure what to do with it yet. Maybe a hat and some fingerless mitts to match my winter coat.

Finally some sock knitting

I finally started the sockapalooza3 socks!! Actually I'm almost done with the first sock. I'm knitting Bad Caul socks in Koigu (of course). Its taken me about 3 weeks to knit which seems like forever. I can only knit about 30 min. at a time before my hands start to hurt again, then its back to the heating pad. My usual perfectionist self is taking a backseat to the looming deadline. I've miscrossed the cables. I crossed both cables in each pair in the same direction instead of facing each other. When I rdidnt realized what I was did wrong until I was finished with the heel gusset....Could you tell I'm a process knitter?? I cant decide whether or not to do the cables the same way on the 2nd sock.....

Not being able to knit on the subway hasnt been as bad as I thought. I just finished reading Julie and Julia by Julie Powell who makes every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year. Pretty funny, easy read. Listening to knitting podcasts has helped. My current favorite is Socks in the City .

This is my favorite picture from MA sheep and wool from Memorial Day. Ya gotta love sheep wearing sweaters!!