I Heart Knit Night

I'm sure I've mentioned how wonderful and amazing my Wednesday night knitting group at Yarns in the Farms is, but I must do so again. Wonderful. Amazing. I love these women. I have always appreciated their mad skills, their cameraderie, their kindness and laughter, but last night I got to appreciate their love and support and well wishes. Thank you, ladies, from the bottom of my heart. Your friendship means so much to me, and I hope that the next time I'm in the area it will be on a Wednesday night.

So, we made it to Chicago without incident today, except for many tears on my part. Isobel was a champ on the airplane (she even let me knit a few rows on the Mermaid Sweater, while she watched some Miffy, which is one of the lovelier toddler shows out there, if you're in the market), and loooooved Jill's Popsicle Pony. Thanks, Jill, that one's going into heavy rotation, I can tell! Then my parents met us at O'Hare with open arms.

I've already discovered that La Harlot is coming to town shortly, so I plan to drag my best friend to meet her on 3 April. Yikes! That's coming up. Thank goodness I taught my BFF to knit last summer. She may still be in the hat and scarf stage (what is that, like, larval?), but she remembered that I'd mentioned the Harlot one time, and she's up for anything for me.

I hope to find some good yarn shops here and a knitting group ASAP. No one can take the place of my Knit Night dear ones, but, as we know, knitters everywhere are good people, so I should be able to find someone who understands how insane it is to have a yen for lace shawls when you live with a toddler. Many thanks, Suzanne, for the old shale pattern. I brought the yarn in my carry-on and will let you know when I cast on.

I hope to be better at pictures but I won't make any promises today. I'll keep you posted. Love you!

Life

Life has gotten in the way again.

Isobel and I are leaving for Chicago on Thursday morning. I don't know what I'll do about the blog title, since I will not be in Gloucester any more, but that can wait.

In the meantime I'm knitting away (and doesn't my wrist know it!) on the Mermaid sweater and have started the waist-shaping increases and am most of the way through the second skein on the body. Miles of stockinette with the prospect of a sweater at the end is good knitting.

So, if you know of anyone who needs a kick-a** art director in Chicagoland, lemme know. And keep knitting.

FO sighting - Lala Scarf

I promise I'll post a picture tomorrow. I finished this cutie pie with a sc, c1 bindoff (single crochet, chain one for those who don't speak crochet, not that I do), which worked perfectly. I might do this one again but use smaller needles and go farther to make a bigger one. Only concern then would be the bindoff, which takes a loooong time but is very pretty. I like it, but the fabric is very open, as you'll see tomorrow.

Slip Slip asked about my Hourglass Sweater in the Queue post, but since it's a WIP (work in progress), it has moved out of the queue and into the work bag! I cast on for the bottom of the Mermaid variation last night and completed one repeat of the lace pattern WITHOUT INCIDENT! Yay, me! One more repeat, then perhaps a couple of spaced-out repeats: I went from solid lace to lace every other "stack" on the sleeve so will probably do the same at the hem of the body. Then, smooth sailing stockinette with occasional decreases for a while. Ah, the kind of soothing knitting that we all need sometimes.

Did you know there was a new Yarnival last month? Me, neither. I've got to figure out how to stay on top of that, probably Bloglines.

Queue Up

For M E
Sand Dollar Shrug (Capecho) from VK in Sylvan Spirit "Moonlight" (have two hanks, need 4? more)
Reversible Socks from the Rockin' Sock Club in STR Midweight "Monsoon"
Icarus from IK in 100purewool "Blue Knots" (?)
Slouchy Cardigan from Greetings from Knit Cafe in Sheep 3 (once it comes in)
Beret from Greetings from Knit Cafe in BSA Alpaca Silk
Beaded Gloves from Handknit Holidays in BSA Alpaca Silk
Turtleneck Sweater from my own pattern (TK) in 100purewool "Sky"
Minisweater from Glampyre in 100purewool "Pasionaria"
En Garde from my own pattern (TK) in handpaintedwool Boucle "Natura"
Print o' the Wave stole from Eunny Jang in handpaintedwool Merino laceweight "Black"
Kiri from Polly/All Tangled Up in Kidsilk Haze "Caramel"
Reading In Bed Shrug from IK in BSA Brushed Suri "Toasted Marshmallow"
Newsboy Cap from YITF in Sheep #1 "Light Blue"
Socks in CTH "Blues"
Counterpane Pouch from Handknit Holidays in Alchemy Silk Purse "San Francisco Sky"
Raglan Duster in Alchemy Haiku "San Francisco Sky"
Long Gloves in BSA Sport Weight "Turquoise"
Neck Warmer in Malabrigo "Little Lovely"
Brea bag in Reynolds Alpaca Regal "Blue"

For I S O B E L
Children's Sweater from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts in Malabrigo "Purple Mystery"

S T A S H I N N E E D O F A P R O J E C T
almost one skein of Manos del Uruguay "Flame" (leftover from a felted hot water bottle cover)
three skeins of Cashmerino (DB and otherwise) "Grey", "Navy", "Silver" [Fetchings spring to mind, of course]
partial skeins of Kidsilk Haze "Candy Girl", "Fondant", "Trance"
two partial skeins of K1C2 Douceur et Soie "Cornflower"
two skeins of Kidsilk Haze in "Heavenly"
one skein Misti Alpaca lace "Grey"
one skein CTH Suri Lace "Northern Lights"
three-ish skeins Imperiale Super Kid Mohair "White"
bag of Rowan Calmer "White", "Powder Puff", "Sour" (given to me)
14 skeins undyed Lopi (given to me)
two skeins Araucania Atacama "Aqua Mint Blue"
almost one skein Malabrigo "Shocking Pink"
one skein Blue Heron Chenille "Cayman" (?)
almost two skeins each BSA Organic Cotton "Bone" and "Sand"
one skein BSA Bulky Hand Dye "Light Blue"
two skeins SWTC Bamboo "Tequila" (gift)
indeterminate amount of Richesse et Soie "Soft Sunrise"
one skein Malabrigo forgotten-color-name-orange
one skein Jade Sapphire cashmere 2-ply "Robin's Egg"
one skein Reynolds Blizzard "Grey"
remnants Reynolds Blizzard "White" and "Caramel"

P R O J E C T S I N N E E D O F Y A R N
Anemoi Mittens
variation on Rowan Brocade sweater
IK Top-Down Cable Raglan by Glampyre
Wing o' the Moth
Alexander McQueen mammoth sweater
Seraphim
hats
Fisherman Christmas Stocking
Aran Tree Skirt (am I nuts?)

The Joy of Knit Night

I am so glad to be able to attend Knit Night regularly again! How amazing are these women? I had such a good time visiting with everyone and checking out their WIPs that I hardly knit at all. I did shop, though! If you're in the neighborhood, be sure to grab a new Bamboo Sisterhood 3/4 sleeve t-shirt - I got my asphalt one last night with red and silver printing and am wearing it today. My colleagues remarked upon my fantastic rock 'n' roll appearance today. Ha!

I also bought the Interweave Knits with Icarus. The directions seem clear here, so I may be OK without Miriam's help that would come with buying the pattern from her directly. BUT I saw Carole's gorgeous Seraphim on her blog this morning. Doesn't she look fantastic? And, as if the shawl weren't lovely enough, she knit it from her own handspun in two weeks! "Impressed" doesn't even begin to cover it. So, add Seraphim to the queue. [I feel a post about the queue coming up.]

My destashed KSH in Heavenly arrived yesterday in the mail. It is a heavenly shade of blue. What will I do with it? You mean, besides pet and look at it? No idea yet, but I couldn't pass it up.

Oh, and the Schaeffer yarn? It is Nancy, not Elaine. Did I get that right? It doesn't really matter. The bumpy yarn (both worsted and bulky weights) is great! I need to wash that swatch, so I can figure out that sweater.

Smit pix

Here are the finished Garter Gloves. I'm not sure people are as crazy about the colorway as I am, but it is just so pretty to knit, moving from palest pink/white to deepest burgundy with all sorts of rosy colors in between. And soft? You'd better believe it!

And here is the Lala Scarf for your viewing pleasure, and you can see all the yarn "left over". Now, if I can just figure out how to gracefully finish the top, we'll be in business. I tried picking up and knitting then binding off today at lunch, and about halfway across I'm at 12", but it should be more like 16.5". Sigh. Guess I'm going to have to learn how to be a loose crocheter. Hehe. A loose hooker.

Oh, I think the color balance may be a little off on the new Nikon. Something to futz around with at some point. The body of the Lala Scarf is Candy Girl, which is a blazing hot pink, not red. I will fix at some point.

Anneland22 was impressed with my mohair frogging. I tell you, I'm just an obsessive kind of girl! Hey, be sure to check out her new podcast, Moonlight Stitches. Congratulations on Episode 2! I've got it on the 'pod and will listen to it tomorrow (helps to plug the darned thing in and download the latest episode when you tell someone you've subscribed to their 'cast at iTunes!).

Smit

Deep smit. Why would anyone knit with yarn other than Malabrigo? Lime was right when she said that it cures eczema. It is the wonder yarn. Soooo soft. And the Little Lovely colorway is just beautiful. I scored a skein at Windsor Button Friday as the snow storm got underway and turned it into some garter gloves, since my Sheep 1 pair were lost in the dog recovery adventures at the end of January. Can you believe I've been wearing store-bought gloves for the past six weeks?!? Crazy.

Anyway, I whipped up those gloves this weekend and started a matching cowl/collar thingy with the leftovers last night. I have Purl scarf in this yarn from last winter, but it hasn't aged well, so I need something else. If I have any leftover leftovers, I think I may knit a flower to put on my Blizzard hat.

Of course the only problem with softly-spun, single-ply Malabrigo is that it pills like no one's beeswax. But pulling pills gives you something to do when you can't knit!

I also finished up the little Lala Scarf from Greetings from Knit Cafe. Only problem is I, apparently, am the world's tightest crocheter. The shawlette is supposed to end up approximately 14 x 33", but, after I crocheted along the top edge, it was more like 14 x 14". So, yes, I frogged mohair last night. Ugh. I have two choices (well, three - the third to be to just leave it as is): Redo the crochet edge but try to do so loosely (I had even gone up a hook size, since it was all I had on-hand) or pick up/knit/bind off the edge. Thoughts?

N.B. While the pattern for the Lala Scarf calls for three skeins of yarn, I barely put a dent in any of them. Which means leftover KSH! Yippeee! Oh, that picot bindoff is sort of a pain but ends up just so pretty. Worth it.