When did I have time to work?

Time passes and I wonder where it goes. I just don't know how I ever had time to work!

Things have been busy around our house! Finally got all the finishing touches of the house siding project finished. It is a l-l-l-l-o-o-o-n-n-n-n-g-g-g-g story. Let's just say that the downturn in the economy that hit the construction industry affected our project as well. It cost us some additional funds but now it is all done! Looks great! We are very pleased.



We have been working on re-landscaping the outside of our house as well. We have taken many trips to various nursery's in the area to shop for plants and trees. We have also been working hard at getting the 5 yards of topsoil and compost into our various garden beds.

Greg put in a beautiful water feature in our yard and it is even more magnificent at night with the artful placement of lighting. Have I ever told you what a gem he is?



The next house project was having some areas of the drywall patched/fixed. This has been a pain because furniture is in the middle of rooms and we have to re-paint the interior of our home. Did I tell you that there is dust everywhere?

We are also in the process of getting estimates to have hardwood floors put in on the 3rd floor. Hopefully within 3 weeks that project will be done as well. I am not a fan of carpeting and I will be so happy to say "see ya!" to this carpet.

I will be glad when the home projects are DONE and we can enjoy our home, once again!

I hate to admit that Nihon Vogue homework has been giving me angst. I feel torn between house projects and the time reality of what it takes to get this round of homework done!

The aran and the gansey/guernsey are very time consuming. For both projects I have chosen to use very traditional yarns.

For the aran I am using Wendy Traditional Aran yarn. I am using a smaller needle than probably what is recommended. I liked the resulting fabric of my swatch but this has proven to be....not a mistake but it has been hard on my hands. Overall I like my design.

Here are the fronts. I still need to do the shoulder slope and I will be ready for class.

For the button band, I am using the XO design and have built in the buttonholes while knitting. The technique is something I got from a Beth Brown-Reinsel pattern. It is very clever because you do not see the button holes.



Here is the back. Originally I had planned to use the diamond pattern that I used on the fronts, repeated on the back. As I was knitting I didn't like how it developing so I tore it out and found a cable pattern with the exact number of stitches I needed. I didn't tear out the whole back, I just tore out the section I was replacing and re-knit. I think it looks rather nice, if I say so myself! :O)

I hate to admit this "rookie mistake" I made while knitting the back. I chart every row to keep track of patterns, decreases, etc. I used the same chart for the front and back. In Nihon Vogue, the armhole decreases are not identical on the front and back. So I happily knit away, finishing the back and realized...I used the decreases for the front, on the back. I had to rip out 50 rows. Those of you that have knit an Aran sweater can empathize on how painful ripping those 50 rows was! I ripped and moved on. No time for tears!



Here is the detail of the aran "ribbing". It is curling quite a bit without blocking. I am hoping it will hold a block well.



I still have to knit the sleeves. My goal is to get one sleeve done by class at the end of the month. Jean is going to show us how to sew the sleeve on to the fronts/back.

For the gansey I am also using British Breeds Guernsey 5-ply from Two Swans(thanks Karen for ordering the Navy!).

I am knitting this project for my husband. I showed him all different colors and he had to choose the darkest color. As my eyes age, I have to be near a good lighting source! This, too, is time consuming. I am knitting on 2.75mm needles. Yes, 2.75mm. Can you say "Very time consuming? Let's repeat that. Very Time Consuming!" It will be very beautiful when it is completed!

Here is my progress so far(I am on row 69 and I need to do 128 for class so I will be ready to knit the gusset at the underarm):


Here are a couple photos to give you more detail of the patterning on the sweater.





What is the purple stuff at the bottom of the gansey you ask? I did a provisional cast-on using waste yarn. The reason? I did not like the channel island cast-on(traditional gansey cast-on, usually used if you are doing garter stitch to begin your gansey). Also per Jean, decreases look better than increases. So I will take out the waste yarn and decrease the number of stitches needed for the 2x2 ribbing.

Some of my fellow students are also knitting the gansey for their husbands. Each year we complete, Suzanne hosts a dinner where the family member's attend and help us celebrate completing another year. We laughed and suggested that we do a cat-walk for the husband's to show off our completed designs. Now THAT is something I am looking forward to and I'll have to take video! Ha!

Oh, to update you on the caffeine withdrawal. Well, I realized I was feeling really crummy because of a medication I was taking. I did get off the caffeine but what I was feeling was not totally caused by the withdrawal. I am still trying to find the right medication for my gerd but I am not feeling bad like I was. I am also eating better by trying to minimize the amount of processed food I eat(I love junk food, by the way so it isn't easy - it is a process!). The biggest and most helpful thing to my overall well-being has been getting up by 6am and working out. I walk briskly for 4 miles to start out the day. It does wonders for my mood and outlook on everything. I highly recommend it!

Recently I went out to Suzanne's to meet and talk to some people that are interested in taking Nihon Vogue year one. People in the fiber community are top notch! One woman was from L.A. I forget your name but if you read this, leave a comment! It was so nice to meet you!

I leave this post with the best intentions. I would like to blog more. Maybe once the house projects are done I'll have more time!

Looking Forward to Spring and Summer

We all need some sunshine and cheer. I can give you some!

Now...this is all about doing some colorwork and more specifically some of Ruth Sorensen's designs. You know how much I love Ruth AND her designs.

First up is the Spring Sweater.

I started the Spring Sweater some time ago. I actually started it way back when she released the pattern. As with many projects I start, they languish in a bag, waiting for more attention and love! Truth be told, I did have to set it aside for Nihon Vogue!

The pink color for the flowers is Kauni. The yarn for the background is Evilla. The Evilla has VERY long striping. I am happy with the very long striping because I wanted the brown to represent sand and the blue to represent the ocean and the sky. I think that is going to work out just fine. The blue will be up closer to my face which is much better for my skin color.

Here is my very slight progress.



This is a shot of the yarns - Evilla on the left and Kauni on the right.



Next is the Summer Shawl. I started a teeny tiny bit of this while Ruth was still here. I don't have anything to really show at this point. I do have a photo of Ruth's version that was displayed at Village Yarn and Tea while she was visiting us last month. I have always wanted to do a fair isle shawl in the round. Now I have my project! The colors Ruth chose are perfect for me. The pinks/purples for the roses and that cheery green as the background. The kicker for me in doing this project was that roses are my favorite flowers. When I sold my house, 15 well established hybrid tea rose plants stayed there in my english style garden. When this is complete, I will have some other roses to cheer me up! It is absolutely gorgeous in person. Note: Ruth...I'm so glad you finally got the pattern up on your website!!!



If you need some "spring" and "summer" projects, here are two suggestions.

Downside of Addiction

That really is a bad title for a blog post. Is there an upside to addiction?

If you are a fellow blogger, don't you have a whole bunch of ideas for blog posts swimming around in your head where they stay only for you to enjoy?

I've got many swimming around up in the brainsphere(is that a word?). They seem to stay up there due to a severe lack of motivation and drive.

Those of you that know me personally know what a "producer" I am. I am driven. I am motivated. I can get something done if I really need to or want to. This has not been me of late.

It all started after Madrona and I headed to Hawaii for vacation.

Due to a heavy caffeine addiction I have not been feeling well and have had a huge decrease in overall motivation and drive. In Hawaii I did not have my regular access to my espresso machine.

I love this machine. We purchased this (an older model) at Starbucks right after we got married. We bought a demonstrator machine which was something like 1/2 the regular price. It went on the blink before the warranty expired so we turned it in and got another one. This happened to us twice. Even though we had to pay a little bit of money each time, we were able to get the newest model. We've had the current one for at least 2 years now.

Anyway(I seem to get off track a lot-that is one of the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal-lack of focus) I didn't understand why some days I would have annoying headaches(not debilitating ones) and mildly nauseated. I thought it was something I ate because there was no regularity to my symptoms.

While in Hawaii, some days I would go to Starbucks and sometimes I wouldn't. On the days I didn't go I would just make coffee at the condo. I guess I wasn't drinking enough caffeine those days when I was feeling a bit under the weather. I was also trying to get off diet soda so I was really good about not having one in the afternoon. I'm beginning to wonder if I was feeling bad on the days I was trying to be good and not have a soda in the afternoon.

An added twist to this story is I also have acid reflux/gerd issues and have been on prescription medicine for about the past 6 months, post endoscopy. My father died of stomach cancer so once I started getting acid stomach symptoms I scheduled an endoscopy. Yes, I had inflammation and yes, I needed to keep it in check especially with my family history.

Since I have been back from Hawaii, some days I would have caffeine in the afternoon(in the form of a diet soda or espresso) and some days I wouldn't. I never connected my feeling "not like myself" to the caffeine, or lack of it.

Well, I began having the same symptoms I had prior to the endoscopy(nausea, acid feeling stomach, etc) and I thought I should look at the no-no list of foods for acid stomach.

One was coffee/caffeine. That is a big one. So yesterday morning I thought I'll try to go off caffeine. I only had one shot instead of two in the morning(I actually didn't even finish the one) and had nothing with caffeine in the afternoon.

Yesterday was a bad day, really bad day. I felt terrible. Big headaches(which I knew I would get) but also a whole host of symptoms(I had all of them). I woke up last night at 3am with a killer headache. I took my trusty little iPhone and looked up caffeine withdrawal symptoms while lying in bed. That was it!

They say to decrease caffeine consumption slowly. Take my advice, if you want to get off your caffeine habit, don't go cold turkey!

I am starting to feel a bit better now that I have had my regular dose of caffeine. I still feel a bit under the weather but I must be feeling well enough to do a post.

Can you believe I haven't even been knitting? I know I'm not feeling well when the thought of knitting doesn't even sound enticing. Maybe soon I'll feel like getting back to the things that bring me joy!

Proof

I am doing homework.

Finally I have flushed out my design. I decided to move beyond analysis paralysis(a phrase I used to use when I could get bogged down in the analysis of IT systems designs-not too far off from knit designs quite honestly).

I have charted my design onto the body measurements to make sure all the pieces fit into my garment's real estate. If you have ever designed an aran you will quickly realize that you don't have as much real estate as you think you do.

With an aran, you have multiple design pieces, cables, honeycomb, diamonds, etc. When pieced together, they must fit into your set space. There is much calculation and then there is more calculation. (Heather in Alaska, you are going to like this!)

Not only is there challenge horizontally, but vertically. My most glaring challenge is the diamond pattern. Each diamond repeat, vertically, is 9.5 cm. If you want to have a complete diamond at the top of the sweater you must move and measure down from there to see if the diamond will get cut off at the length you want the finished garment. I had to adjust my sweater an additional 3.7 cm because I didn't want to start the diamond in the middle, I wanted a complete repeat.

Once your biggest, most noticeable cable is measured out, you must measure each design element, like the honeycomb to make sure its repeat will begin/end within the new length. Since I'm not as bothered by honeycomb ending mid pattern, that was easier to deal with.

My other large headache was getting the traditional X and O patterns to work out in my design/garment. I am doing the X and O pattern vertically to use as my button band. In addition, I am also doing the X and O pattern horizontally along the bottom band. In order to make all those X's and O's line up...well I had to pray the numbers would work out. As it turns out, they did. Beautifully I must say.

On the right and left front pieces I had to use only half an X for the numbers to work out. A full X or O would make the piece 1.75cm too large.

That means that on the back, on each side of the back I also have to knit half an X so when I sew, there will be a full X at the sides. I could not believe my lucky stars that the number of X and O's on the back work to exactly the 56cm. I took 56cm and subtracted 3.5cm (the two half X's for the sides to match the other 1/2 of the X from the fronts) and I'm left with 52.5cm. 52.5/3.5(width of each X and O) = 15. I needed and odd number to make sure two X's or O's wouldn't be next to each other. Do you understand what I'm saying?

Time to celebrate that the numbers worked out!!!

I am now excited to actually start the knitting part. Design is so much trickier and there is a ton of math and calculation involved.

I really appreciate all the work good designers go to in order to make a *good* design. Boy, I can sure spot issues with designs now.

Here is a tidbit of how my design worked out. It is hard to see. I have a hell of a time photographing the velum like graph paper.

Yes, another diversion

What can I say?

I'm lacking any motivation WHATSOEVER to do Nihon Vogue homework.

It isn't that I don't enjoy my education. It isn't that I don't love Jean(which I DO). It isn't that I'm not learning anything(I learn so much!). I can't exactly put my finger on why I haven't tackled ANY homework since last class.

Oh! I know why.

There are so many other exciting and tempting things out there that are catching my attention.

One is this Mystery Shawl Along #12 hosted by Goddess Knits. Renee' Leverington designs some amazing lace shawls.

I have never joined a mystery anything.

Friends know I am a lace ho. I love knitting lace and I collect lace yarn. You know one reason I gravitate to lace yarn? It doesn't take up that much space. It is lots of yardage in a very small package.

Why did I decide to do a mystery lace knit along? Consider my habits. I love starting projects. I love the anticipation of casting on, of dreaming about the finished product. I'm just one of those folks that loves *beginnings*.

My first thoughts on a mystery shawl was "what if I don't like the shawl at the end and I've committed all these hours to it?"

Then I began to think in terms of reality. I know I love to start projects. I know I love lace. I know I have a lot of lace yarn in the stash.

Hell, why not do a mystery shawl?

These are the pro's: It will be fun because uh, it's a mystery and I love mysteries and suspense. I can use up lace stash. I love knitting lace. I love starting things. Since a clue(or the next part of the chart) is released on a weekly basis, it is like getting to start a new project every week, yet it is also continuing a project. At the end of 6 weeks a mystery will be solved and I will have used up a small part of my stash and have a beautiful shawl to show for it. What are the cons? Are there any? Ok, maybe the con is that I have spent hours away from doing Nihon homework. As my friend Melinda pointed out that I will be able to DO IT ALL since I took Stephanie's Speed Knitting course(I'm sure her message was sent in a facetious tone which can't be conveyed in a text message). Oh, if only one could have those skills just by taking a class and not actually practicing the technique!

So I began my shawl on March 11, the day after I returned from Hawaii. Clue 2 was released this past Saturday. I finished clue two and this is what the shawl looks like so far.


Yarn: Posh Yarn Cecilia(50%cashmere/50%silk) 100g with 1300 yds - colorway aquarium

Needles used: Addi Turbo lace US4/3.5mm

Now back to designing my Aran for Nihon Vogue homework! It has been a rough go. I don't like anything I think will look good together. I thought last weekend I had my design pretty much figured out, now today I don't like it(the reason I have not posted any photos yet). Maybe my change in satisfaction had to do with the migraine I had yesterday? I am thinking of scraping what I had conceptualized. That is the hard part about design. Its all about lots of swatching and literally going back to the drawing board.

Back to the drawing board. I better get coffee first! (Do you see how my brain tries to protect me by diverting me to the kitchen rather than my desk?)

Queen of Beads

Yesterday I decided to start the first installment of the Rockin' Sock Club 2009 - World Domination Tour.

The first design is called Queen of Beads, designed by Sivia Harding.   

First detour from Queen of Beads:

I had an opportunity to meet Sivia at the Madrona Fiber Arts Winter retreat 3 weeks ago.  I happen to be a member of a private Yahoo group.  Each year at Madrona a bunch of us meet up and have dinner one night during the retreat.  Sivia is also a member of that group.

As knitter notoriety goes, Sivia is right up there.  She might laugh about this but when she showed up for dinner(I had heard rumor's she was going to be there), I felt nervous excitement!  Having dinner with Sivia Harding?   She was also helping Cat Bordhi in her sock class so I had a chance to talk to her in class.   She is such a kind and gracious person.

Back to the socks!

Here is the wonderfully dyed yarn(thank you Tina!) with the very beautiful beads sitting next to my refreshing tropical drink.

I have never strung beads onto yarn before knitting.  I usually use a crochet hook to place the beads as I am knitting.

I don't know a lot about bead knitting so I had to call Ellen on the phone to find out how she strung her beads.  The way I was thinking I was going to string them on the yarn did not work(using a fine needle and stringing them on the yarn like I did as a child making bead jewelry). 

I had planned on placing the beads on the yarn while we drove 2 hours north to the quaint little town of Hawi.  Since that didn't work I knit on my Mandala shawl.

Note - Second detour from talking about the Queen of Beads:

As we got closer to the northern end of the island there was a brush fire.   The next photo was taken as we approached the area of the brush fire.  Don't you wonder what the fire/police think when tourists are taking dumb photos like these?  Ooohhh, I was on vacation and there was a *brush fire*.  Great excitement.  :)

I'll blame it on Greg.  He said "get the camera out and take some photos!" So I did!
 

On the way back to the condo after sightseeing on the north end of the island yesterday I asked to stop at Longs Drug to get dental floss threaders.  After talking with Ellen and failing at stringing the beads with a needle, I was intent on getting those beads ON the yarn!

Back on track with the socks:

This is how you string beads onto yarn using a floss threader.

Start with a single floss threader:


Drape your yarn through the loop of the floss threader:


Begin stringing the beads using the pointed tip of the floss threader:

Once the bead/beads are on the floss threader, push the bead down the yarn. I had some difficulty getting some of my beads down past where the floss threader ends and where the yarn is doubled. I think there are just some beads that were just too small to get on the yarn.

I've strung about 190 beads on the yarn for the first sock. I am ready to begin.

The other photographer in the family

As we were coming to our condo on the big island we went down a residential street. Obviously this is a well travelled street that required some speed bumps be installed to slow traffic.

As Greg drove, I was trying to get my camera focused and ready. As many speed bumps as there were on this road, I could not get a good, clear shot.

First attempt:



Second attempt:



Third and final attempt:



Good thing there is another photographer in the family!

I love the term "Speed Hump". Cracked me up. Funny how a one letter difference can really change how one reacts to a particular phrase. Obviously it moved me enough to try and get my camera out to take a photo.

On another note, I love taking photos of Greg taking photos. Why? I like to see the context in which a particular photo or photos are taken.

Greg taking photos of the sunset on the big island.



This is one of the photos he took when I was taking the photo of him:



This next round of photos are for Ellen and her son Patrick in memory of Monty! This little guy took up residence on our lanai.

Here is Greg taking photos of Monty II.



Here are some of the photos of Monty II that Greg took:


Monty II closeup:

Monty II feeling threatened:
Monty II looking like a dog, begging for a treat!

I'll end today's post by wishing my sister, Trish, a very Happy Birthday!  Have a great dinner with the kids at Marlai!  Hopefully they will treat you(although we know that it probably isn't likely!  HA!).  Hope you had a great day!

Yes, I AM doing some knitting

Aloha!

I always, whether I blog about it or not, have some knitting going. Usually I have Nihon Vogue homework to keep me busy but I needed a break from it.

While on vacation(I know, everyday is vacation for me nowadays), I am even taking a break from Nihon Vogue.

As most knitters can relate, trying to decide what knitting to bring on a trip is harder than what clothes/shoes to pack. Again, as most knitters will agree, they usually take too much knitting along, ever optimistic as to how much knitting one can actually get done on vacation!

What I *have* managed to make progess on are the following.

The Stalwart Left Right Socks. This yarn was a definite splurge AND unexpected purchase at Madrona. The fiber is basically the Merlin product by Louet but hand-dyed by Tactile Fiber Arts. I bought two skeins(I know, a $62 pair of socks?) but I just wanted to make Greg some special socks for summer. They will be very hard wearing with the linen. Since Greg is not good about hand washing his hand-knit socks, I thought this would be a good fiber for him - he can wash them in the washer and stick them in the dryer. I heard good things from a fellow student in my Cat Bordhi sock class. She swears by the wearability of this fiber combo.

Here is my progress. Notice I am using Knitpicks harmony dpns. Well, I had Greg try them on as he has very thin ankles and I wanted him to try them on to make sure they were not too big. I start out on a 2.5mm and just about a couple inches down from the cuff I transition to 2.25mm. When he was trying them on he was having a hard time getting the sock over his heel. Instead of gently pulling them on, he just bullies the sock on. Snap! Good thing Knitpicks come with 6 dpns. I think this is a clear example of why I need to invest in the Signature Knitting Needle dpns. I have one coveted pair and at $55 for a set of 5, it is a real investment. But I must say, a worthy investment. I love them.

Sorry I got distracted. Here is my progress.



I also like to have a no-brainer knitting project along. At the last minute(you know, you are stuffing a skein of yarn here and there in the suitcases) I put in my Summer of Love colorway from Plucky Knitter. I bought this at the last Stitch 'N Pitch. As a side note, is there a Seattle Mariner fan out there that isn't completely thrilled to have Griffey back this season? I'm over the moon! Looking forward to our season tickets! Here I go again getting distracted.

Here are my Summer of Love Nutkin socks. I love the Nutkin pattern. Mindless, yet interesting. I love how the color splash is spiriling around the sock.





At Madrona, I bought some to die(or is it dye) for wild tussah silk/merino lace yarn in the colorway Plum Thunder(sound like it would be *my* color, doesn't it?) from Curious Creek Fibers. I am knitting the Mandala Shawl. I am enjoying this very much. I started knitting this at Madrona and was almost done with Chart 3(on a US4) when I realized that I didn't like the fabric. Back in some dark corner of my brain, I heard Catherine Lowe say "Why wouldn't you do a large swatch for a shawl?". Well, lesson learned. I had put many hours into the shawl and had to frog. Don't get me wrong. I happily frogged it knowing I would be much happier with the end result. I enjoyed knitting it so much that I will enjoy is just as well the second time around(this time on a US7).

Here is lies on the chaise lounge looking like a blob of seaweed. Laziness prevents me from putting it on a longer circular needle to show off its detail.



I feel bad for you folks back at home that braved the snow and are dealing with a good dose of rain. I hate to say how nice it is here where I am. It is nice. It is about 80 degrees with light winds. I'll send sun your way!

Our World Underwater

For those of you that read my blog, know that my husband, Greg, is an avid underwater photographer.

He has entered photography contests before and we even won a trip to Fiji once.

Like most artists, he is shy about selling himself and his photographs. You can see more of his work on his website.

Recently he entered a contest hosted by Wetpixel and DivePhotoGuide. In the wide angle unrestricted category he placed third! I was so excited to hear he had placed because I knew they had quite a few people entering their art. I think there were about 3500 entrants!

You can see images of the other winners here. Although the images can be somewhat disturbing, take a look at the Environment and Conservation section. This highlights the need for better care for the beings living below the water's surface.

I am so proud of what Greg does as a photographer.

What was really cool about this competition was that one of the judges was David Doubilet. Many of you may be familiar with him as he has done many, many National Geographic assignments. It is cool to know he looked at some of Greg's images and must have been impressed with his Manta Heaven.

He hasn't had a chance to do much diving here on Maui. He dove one day and the past two days the boat has cancelled their trips due to high winds!

Great job, honey!

It has been awhile

Hi!

I've been away for quite some time.

How is it that I hosted Ruth Sorensen and Jens Mikkelsen for a couple weeks, then went off to Madrona and I didn't take any pictures?!!!

I think I *may* have some photos on my laptop at home but not on the laptop I am working on in the next couple weeks.

Madrona was a blast. I had a great time. I shared a room with Jen(who just became an owner of a Jensen Tina II spinning wheel - another one bites the dust!), Amy, and Ellen. We happily were able to get an adjoining room with Melinda, Michale and JoniO.

I took a few classes. I took Catherine Lowe's Foundations of Couture Knitting. This was a perfectionist's dream. Talk about attentiveness to detail. Catherine is amazing in her attention to the little things. I got a lot out of the class and I was glad I took it. I would like to learn more from her.

I took Cat Bordhi's Hybrid Sock Architecture class. This was an all-day class that I thought could have been a good half day class. Much of what I learned in the class can be found in her sock book. Cat is very entertaining and a very good teacher.

I also took Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Knitting for Speed and Efficiency. This class was worth its weight in gold. I am a fairly proficient knitter(can knit 50 sts per minute) but if I can get this Lever Knitting down, I can really speed up my production. I have been trying to practice a bit everyday. Its like learning to knit all over again. I know I can *get* this technique with practice. I remember all those years ago when I taught myself to knit that I never thought I would be able to relax and knit. I know at some point, this lever knitting will feel like second nature as well.

Where have I been? A couple days ago Greg and I hiked down a road to see these petroglyphs.





I crack up about the island culture.

On the mainland, you would see signs directing you to a sightseeing place like this. No. Not in the islands. It is like "island time" but directed at where to go.

We get to the road and find where it says basically that you will find the petroglyph's by hiking down this rocky road. We walk down the road and see the only thing that looks like it could have petroglyph's there. We see this very, very "OSHA nightmare" platform(how they describe it in the guidebook Maui Revealed) and we don't see anything. We hike around this area and don't see any petroglyph's. Then we run into this couple from Colorado and ask them if they saw the petroglyph's? No.

We go back to the area we initially hiked up to. We aren't talking hiking trail. We are talking overgrown, dirt, steep incline up to this "platform" which is very sketchy. It is pretty dangerous. There were no signs posted. Nothing. Funny!

We are on Maui right now. Enjoying some relaxation and warmer weather.

As I gain a bit more color(looking more native - my dad was born and raised in Hawaii) I think about something Jens said during his visit. He was incredulous that there can be such discrimination towards people of color and yet people lie out, go to tanning salons to get more color!

I did bring some knitting along. No Nihon Vogue homework!

I brought a lace shawl and a number of sock projects.

As I leave you today, a birthday shout out to my friend JoniB. She is celebrating a milestone birthday today! Happy 50th Joni!!

I'm not kidding you

I just finished the Baltic Blossom Shawl designed by Evelyn Clark.

I purchased 3 skeins of Handmaiden Swiss Cashmere Silk yarn in the Amethyst colorway at Village Yarn and Tea's New Year's Day sale. I had been eyeing this yarn for quite some time.

I hunted for the perfect shawl for this amazing yarn with the right yardage. As it ended up, I only used 2 skeins. I'm not kidding you, I had *just* enough yarn. I had about 1.5 yards left!!! See photo below:



This is a beauty and it is finished just in time for the Madrona Fiber Arts Winter Retreat 2009!

Here are more photos of Baltic.






I hope to connect with all of you at the retreat!

I have spent the past two weeks with Ruth Sorensen and her husband, Jens. We have been busy running around sightseeing. This is the reason for lack of posts.

For those of you signed up for her Mitten and Wristwarmer classes at Madrona, you are in for a real treat!

Polly, Pocket Wheel

Because I have a number of nieces, I have seen all things related to Polly Pocket toys.

I have a new toy. For some reason I can.not get "Polly Pocket Wheel" out of my head!

My spinning wheels have names. Do yours?

My very first wheel was a Louet Victoria and I call her Lil' Vicki. She was a very good first wheel and my travel wheel.

Next came the Schact Matchess. She is named Stipulation. Huh, you say? When I purchased it Greg said to go ahead and buy it but there was one stipulation. She couldn't "live" in the living room. That is how she got her name.

Since July 2008 I have been on the waiting list for a Pocket Wheel by Doug Dodd.

Last week Ellen and I drove up to Bellingham to pick up our wheels. I was beyond thrilled and excited! Now that I have had some time to spin on her, I love her even more than I thought I would.

Here is a photo comparison of Stipulation against Polly Pocket.



When I put my deposit down in July I was hoping for Christmas delivery. I would email Doug from time to time to find out where I was on the list and I realized I wasn't going to get it even before the Madrona Fiber Arts Retreat mid February. Well I do have it! Yes! But...there is a story to be told because I would still be on the the waiting list. You'll have to read on to discover how I got her.

Since he first came out with this wheel, he has made a few design changes. His most current design of the wheel does not have a leather strap. I have always wanted the leather strap version for ease of transport. You can still get the design with the leather strap but it is special order now.

He had three wheels available to take delivery of now. He wasn't willing to ship these. I believe he had taken them to a St. Distaff Day gathering and one woman had wanted one of the wheels but never contacted Doug. Ellen just happened to e-mail Doug about a week and a half ago inquiring on the progress of the waiting list and he happened to mention he had three wheels available now that had leather straps. There were two maple and one prunewood. She took the prunewood.

I had a choice between the two maple ones. At first I wasn't sure I wanted to take delivery of a maple one because I had set my mind on Cherry. I decided the type of wood wasn't so important to me but having the leather handle was. Plus I figured maple might be just a tad lighter than Cherry. Do I have to mention that getting one now was a real motivator?

I had to decide between a change in the design of how the ratio change thingy(my technical term) attaches to the wheel. The change in the design was made so it is easier for him to create. One had the new design, the other had the old design. With a waiting list of over 70 now, he has had to make some design changes so he can make all us spinners happy!

He says there is no difference in functionality with this change but I liked having the older model. He said it makes it slightly easier to treadle. That doesn't make much difference because this baby is easy to treadle anyway. I have only compared my wheel(with the old design) and Ellen's(with the new design). I do think the treadling is a bit smoother and my wheel seems to be a tiny bit quieter but I can't say if this is due to this design change or something else.

This baby is small! So adorable and she spins SO smoothly. It really is an amazing design.

Being vertically challenged(petite) this wheel really is comfortable for me. The pedals are higher up so there is less strain on my low back. I can sit on a sofa, a dining room chair, my office desk chair and they are all comfortable. This has not been the case with my other wheels.

It is a scotch tension and it comes with 3 bobbins.



This wheel, by design, has an infinite # of ratios. You can purchase the wheel with a high speed option but I am not sure this is really necessary. For most folks the regular option is definitely going to work just fine. How are ratios changed on this wheel?



As you see in the photo above, there is a metal roller thing that moves up and down the silver shaft. You just take a little allen wrench tool and loosen the mechanism. You just move the roller thing up and down and this is what changes the ratio. As you move it toward the outer edge of the wheel, it has a faster/higher ratio. As you move it toward the center of the wheel, it has a slower/lower ratio. See? Infinite number of ratios and you don't need to carry and change whorls when necessary.

At this point I only have nice things to say about this wheel. I am seriously considering selling my Louet Victoria(for sure) and even possibly, the Schacht. I get a lot more spinning done because I just tote Polly around from room to room. I get in a few minutes here and there and before I know it a bobbin is full!

I even tried putting her under my desk. She fits. So I can be at my desk doing "work" and spin here and there as I need a break. Yes, I don't work anymore at a real job. If you do work at a job, you can hide your pocket wheel under your desk and spin from time to time! Your co-workers won't even know! :)

Grafting the Dolman Shoulder Seam

As I was happily graphting (I say facetiously) 129 stitches on the shoulder seam of my dolman, I thought I would break up the monotony by taking some photos of what I was doing.

Setup: Put the piece of the garment with the live stitches closest to you, right side facing. The piece with the bound off stitches goes above the piece with the live stitches, right side facing.

Step 1: Go into the first stitch on the piece closest to you with the live stitches, purlwise. Leave on needle.



Step 2: Find the first stitch of the bound off piece. You will see a 'V' shape and you want to go behind the two legs of the 'V'from right to left.



Step 3: Go into the first stitch on the front(live stitches) needle knitwise(left to right) and take off the needle.



Continue with steps 1-3 until all stitches have been grafted.

It's like driving across Montana

My friend, and fellow Nihon Vogue student, Joni compared knitting a dolman garment to driving across Montana. It just seems to go on, and on,and on!

I wholeheartedly agree. I might even say it is like driving to Florida and back!

As tried to remind myself while knitting that as I was knitting the front or the back, that I was also knitting the sleeve at the same time!

Let me tell you something you don't want to do. Make a mistake and have to frog. I made an error in my cable and had to rip back 20 rows(it was an unrecoverable type of mistake or else I would have just frogged the cable portion). I wasn't just ripping out 20 rows of my left front, it was also 20 rows of the sleeve!

During the project drafting phase I wanted to minimize the bat-wingy-ness of the garment. As you will see in the photo below, my bat wing is pretty small.

I just finished knitting all my dolman pieces. As you may recall, the cable is from A Cardigan for Arwen by Kate Gilbert. I love that the cable is reversible.

I still need to decide how I am going to finish the neckline. Will I do the same cable as the collar, will I do a rib(saw a cute stand up rib on Arwen in Ravelry - looked very sharp)? Hmmmnnn. So many options. That is what I love about creating my own design rather than following a pattern - I call the shots!



Can you see all the markers along the shoulder line in the photo above? That is where you do a ton of short rows to create the shoulder slope.

How to join the shoulders? You can do a 3 needle NV technique bind off, you can kitchener it or you can do as I am doing. The 3 needles bind off will result in a seam that you can see rather readily. The kitchener may not provide enough support for the whole garment. The technique I am going to do is to bind off the front and then kitchener the front and back pieces together. This will give the most seamless look while providing more support at the shoulder seam.

Elegant Arrows Moebius

I was reading the Blue Moon Fiber Arts blog tonight. Tina's latest post resonated with me.

I was moved by it. I believe as she does in the power of mindfulness, the power of intention and the power we have as individuals to help move the planet towards peace.

Sivia Harding posted in the comments about a moebius scarf she designed that may be used in a KAL of sorts, suggested by Cat Bordhi. Sivia wrote "Cat Bordhi has suggested that knitting a Moebius while watching the inauguration would be an especially fitting way to usher in the “new era” with peace, oneness and unity." There are more specifics in this post on Sivia's blog.

Even with as much Nihon homework as I have to do in the coming weeks I want to cast-on this scarf on Tuesday January 20, 2009.

For me this moebius will be a symbol of the peace and hope I feel as we usher in a new president. It will remind me of this historical day.

Will you join me?

Projects, Projects Everywhere! All NON Nihon Vogue!

If you have followed my blog you will know I do a whole lot of starting of projects and only a handful of finishing! I can blame a part of that on my Nihon Vogue certification. I do finish 8 sweaters in the course of a year. The following projects are just side projects or what I call Contraband Knitting.

I finished a shawl for my mother-in-law for Christmas. This yarn is from Toots LeBlanc. It is in the 60/40angora/wool blend. The wool portion of the blend is either Rambouillet or Merino. It really blooms after washing. The pattern is the Foliage Shawl by Miriam Felton. I only used 2 skeins or 500 yards. I had the smallest amount left over. It was close. I did do one extra repeat of the pattern to make the shawl a little bit bigger.

I had some issues with the pattern. In the pattern instructions Miriam says you can make the shawl bigger by adding repeats but she doesn't go into detail in how that affects the knitted on border. I e-mailed her about it but it took her a bit of time to get back with me. By that time I had already forged ahead. I had to make some small adjustments but it wasn't noticeable in the finished product.

I had never done a knitted on border before. I think it turned out beautifully and Evie loves it.





I could not leave my father-in-law out in the cold, so to speak. I made him a scarf in a 4 ply scottish cashmere. I purchased this recycled yarn off Ebay. In a prior life it was a sweater. I took the yarn which was in cakes, took four balls and strung it around my knitty noddy, washed it and dried it before knitting. This scarf is so thick and yummy. I had never used recycled yarn before and I think it is a very cool(no pun intended) way to go. I do have a fair amount of cashmere yarn in my stash but *my color's* wouldn't suit Ron!

I found this pattern out of one of my Japanese knitting books with patterns/designs for men. (Note: Amy, do you see the project bag in the background? I am never without my knitting!)






I also knitted some socks for my niece, Jenn, who turned 30 this month. She makes hand made books and she inquired one day about doing a trade - one of her books for a pair of hand knit socks. I told her "there is no freakin' way". I don't gift knit to non-knitters because I have had a bad experience with it. Non-knitters do not understand the number of hours it takes to knit a scarf or a pair of socks. I made an exception because this is a very special milestone in her life.

The pattern is Biological Clock from Janel Laidman's Eclectic Sole book. This was not a hint for her to get going in the motherly way(she isn't married) but she is a scientist. The DNA strands were perfect for her! These photos are not very good. I gave them to her Christmas night so there was no natural lighting. I had forgotten to take photos before I gave them to her.





I am a member of the Rockin' Sock Club. I love this club. The last installment of the year is a lovely colourway that happened by mistake by Tina and it has become her new favorite. We got the yarn in mediumweight paired with a wonderful, easy to memorize pattern by Anne Hanson. How could you NOT love a pattern by Anne of Knitspot. All her patterns are very well written and easy to follow.





Recently on a black-hole tour(You know the one. You go into Ravelry to just check your messages, maybe check out what is going on in a few of your groups, maybe stop by to see what your friends are doing and next thing you know a couple hours have gone by. Familiar?) in Ravelry I came upon these adorable mittens. Like the sea turtles, I love seahorses. I have never seen one in the wild(I would have to scuba dive). I just think they are such fascinating creatures.

Greg took some awesome photos like this one while in Indonesia. I would love to see this guy in person. Can you believe that this little guy is about as big as your pinkie fingernail?

I know a lot of you out there with left over Kauni yarn. Will this project be added to your Ravelry queue?