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knitting: commentary
31 jan 2004 quarantined
we've been one sick household here for the past three days: head colds, deep coughs and various and sundry gastrointestinal delights. thank heavens i had just purchased some early tulips--looking at them made me feel much better and almost assured i was not, in fact, going to die.
since the small child insisted upon sitting on my lap pretty much non-stop, there was not a lot of knitting happening, even though i was home. i did whip out a pair of happy little wristbands to use at the gym. we've been going just about every day and that precor efx machine really makes me sweat.
and even at death's door, i did not forget my obligation to finishing. the layette for f/s just needed a neckband knit and then seaming. neckband? done! one sleeve and one side seam stitched up? done! other side? not so much. maybe tonight.
28 jan 2004 2 down
okay, finishing is proceeding apace! here is the very long and very skinny and very sparkly scarf. it's a jaeger green and metallic gold mohairy yarn with a vittadini blue sequined mohairy yarn at the ends. it's funky and strange and i love it. if it is really cold, wrapping it 'round my neck three times leaves the wide blue flares right at the top of my chest, a sort of modified ascot.
and here? here is my sister's sitcom chic, which lacked only edging and a button when we last visited it at christmas. and yet, it has taken me a month to finish it. it's my sister's fault, really. she didn't have space in her luggage so told me, no hurry! send it along later! she should have defined 'later.' i love the button -- it's ceramic.
i've done more work on the baby sweater, and another square on the blanket as well, but no photos until i hit some sort of milestone for each.
25 jan 2004 a change in plans
the sister-in-law has decided against celebrating a second christmas, so i've put aside the blanket for the moment. her birthday is in may, so it will definitely be done by then. in the meantime, i am all about finishing started projects and fullfilling obligations. regarding the latter, i've started a little sweater for the last of the nine people who had babies last year. i am taking bits and pieces from here and there, changing everything there and here, and hopefully i'll end up with something worthwhile.
red just refuses to photograph nicely, doesn't it? a close-up of the two yarns held together that make the body of the sweater.
24 jan 2004 stash!
it's the great stash redistribution project! i arrived home from saturday morning errands to find this:
this is what i took out: 2 skeins of a very fine gray wool that totally defeats the stash reduction principle since i don't really have a plan for it; a tiny skein of handspun in a gorgeous reddish colour that is destined to be the bulk of a beanie for sophie; a sock kit! with sheep! how can anyone turn down socks with sheep on them? these are for me; i rarely knit for myself, so this will be a treat: sheep on feet.
and this is what i added: an unused skein of smart superwash, left over from a layette project; 3 full skeins [and 2 parts of skeins] sirdar snuggly magic and a pattern -- i made this once and though cute, i am unlikely to do so again; 4 skeins phildar coton cable in yellow, a color not suited to me, nor sophie; and a spiffy row counter that i never use, being addicted to little tally marks on old business cards.
20 jan 2004 another year
there was less knitting, and more playing this past week. sophie turned 4 on saturday and we had a very festive 3-day weekend that included lunch at the salish lodge on friday, the pacific science center and krispy kreme on saturday and a small party on sunday. it was all good. she is all good, too, if a bit messy.
earlier in the week, j and i went to a reading by billy collins. it was in the benaroya symphony hall which is absolutely gorgeous. and as we were there plenty early, i brought along a small scarf project and knit away while watching the hall fill. i intended to knit throughout the reading but he was so funny and interesting that i kept forgetting to move my fingers. finally, i just put it all away. maybe i'll finish it when we go to the opera this friday. [we've deemed this the year of culture in the craig.valvis household]
finally, a small update on the blanket. though i am still behind, it is 3/7 of the way done. i'm leaning toward backing it with something, as i don't particularly care for the back side, but i've no idea how on earth to do that. something to suss out, eventually.
11 jan 2004 a cunning beanie
work on the blanket continues apace; i've finished two rows, a total of 10 squares, which puts me just one day behind schedule. i had planned to knit quite a bit this weekend, but instead acted like a responsible adult and put away all the christmas stuff, washed five loads of clothes, made a great baked ziti, and oohed and aahed over the little outfit my mother knit for sophie's new doll, annabelle.
and then, i decided i wanted more instant gratification, so rather than use the few extra hours to work on the blanket, i made myself the cunning beanie. great yarn, great pattern. thanks, steph!
07 jan 2004 like a giant slushy
the first snow was good. the second snow was even better. but now, now i am ready for the slush to go away, leaving me with the familiar wet northwest. sophie is getting good use of her hat, though.
i've set a mini-goal of completing at least one block of the blanket each night, either one large single colour, or four smaller multi-coloured. if i keep it up, it will be done by the end of the month.
of course, there is plenty of other yarn calling my name. "knit me, knit me, knit me before it is too warm to wear me..."
03 jan 2004 let it snow
all i wanted for christmas was snow. and though he was a little late, looks like santa came through.
in the interest of keeping the thrill of instant gratification alive, i made sophie a bucket hat and matching scarf yesterday. none of her hats offer her face much in the way of protection form precipitation, so this will come in handy. and i killed some of the stash as well. all around happiness.
the next big project is a blanket for my sister-in-law. they are celebrating a second christmas in february since her husband is currently deployed. if i'm lucky, this will be done in time.
01 jan 2004 happy new year!
while watching the 'twilight zone' marathon and waiting for the new year, i started this scarf. and then promptly finished it this morning.
nothing like starting the new year with an almost instantly finished item. hopefully, a sign of the year to come.
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