Head West

I finally made it to California for a visit. A quick trip to see friends in Phoenix turned into a road trip to LA and Santa Monica.







And yes, I plan to visit again.

About Time

So, one of my favorite people brought some yarn back from a business trip to Scotland years ago. (Seriously, *years* ago.) I have been holding on to it, to knit something out of it for her at her request.

To date, we've gone through four different patterns and finally settled on one last year. As things are finally coming to completion with my internship/clinical hours as well as my classes, changes will be coming up. This includes finally getting this project on a set of needles.

Ohmyhell.

I'm not sure if I smacked a llama, booted an alpaca, or yelled at a kashmir goat in a former life...or maybe I accidentally ate a vicuña or guanaco in a former life. Karma kicks me in the ass every single time I try to knit lace projects, no matter how simple.

It began with this gorgeous yarn: Wolf Creek Wool's Bliss yarn.





To knit this rather simple, lovely shawl: Tuch / shawl *SunsetXL* by Birgit Freyer.

First attempt: I couldn't figure out the charting because I was over-thinking it. I needed no less than three of the fierce women of the SnB to explain it to me.

Second attempt: I knit with size 4US needles. So tight, I can't tell the stitches from one another. So I went up to size 5US needles. Still kind of tight, but I can work with it.

Third attempt: In trying to figure out the lace pattern on the edge, I re-read the pattern info on Ravelry, and realize I should be knitting these on size 7US needles.

Ohmyhell.

First FO of 2013

C'est fini!


I ran out of needle space even using my 32" and 40" SNA circs. However, it is lovely.





I only did a severe block on the center lacy bit:




* * *
Needles
US 9 - 5.5 mm

Yarn
Debbie Macomber Blossom Street Collection Cashmere Fleur De Lys

How much?
6 skeins = 558.0 yards (510.2m)

Colorway
Ennui

Purchased at
Jimmy Beans Wool

Finally.

About time that 2012 fucked off. It was a terrible year for too many of my friends and family. And 2013, we're expecting better from you.

The knitting was about on target for what I wanted to complete in 2012, even with a few unexpected knitting requests:

January 9 - Friend's Crocheted Scarf
January 15 - Friend's Knitted Scarf
January 22 - Thankful Scarf
February 5 - The Guy's Socks
February 26 - Gift Scarf
April 19 - Swirly Cap
May 15 - Lace Cap
June 5 - Sharky the Mittens
June 21 - Dead Fish Hat I
July 22 - Dead Fish Hat II
October 14 - Two Color Cardigan
October 20 - Reward Scarf
November 2 - Ridged Helmet Hat
November 16 - Just A Hat
December 9 - Simply Lovely Shawl
December 18 - K-all Scarf


The knitting project right now is the Slightly Beyond Basic Wrap I'm knitting for a colleague:













The projects that I have slated for the rest of winter/spring:

*Treads (mine)

Tuch/Shawl (Lucy)

*Slightly Beyond Basic Wrap (Steph)

*Cloisonne (Doreen)

Shark Hat (Rose)

*Hot (mine)

Steelers Hat (Karen)

Dead Fish Hat III (Cathy)

Princess Scarf (Seneca)

Aran Cable Wrap (Elaine)


*In progress

Meanwhile, back at the ranch no one really missed Timmy.

Because we're all enamored with this Treads pattern for fingerless gloves!

The red color distorts the photos enough that I had to do some funky work with the photo program.










I love the lateral braid, even if it drives me a bit bonkers. I just get into a rhythm and then something happens and I forget where I'm at, then I go back and tink around to straighten myself out, and begin again. It's worth it.

The definition of the patterns aren't great also due to the type of yarn I'm using: GGH cashmere. I've had this for years, and actually this yarn was frogged from another pair of fingerless mittens that just didn't fit well any longer. So the softness of the yarn blurs the stitch definition in the photo, but it's lovely in person.

FO - Wrap It Up

I still feel pretty narly and exhausted. I'm going on two weeks without my CPAP, and I can't believe I used to live with this exhaustion for years. How the hell did I get anything done?

There are benefits to holding down a couch while you're waiting for the antibiotics to kick cooties ass. Finishing up a knitted gift:







It was knit length-wise, just knitted. The color and plying of the yarn was enough to make this scarf pop.

* * * * *

Needle:
US 8 - 5.0 mm

Yarn:
Cascade Yarns Cloud

How much?
2 skeins = 328.0 yards (299.9m)

Colorway:
dark periwinkle

Purchased at
Jimmy Beans Wool

The Plague Returns

Usually it doesn't hit until January, but apparently it has arrived early. This week began with a cold, a fever, sore throat, as well as losing my voice for three days. I had a brief reprieve yesterday, and then was hit even harder today, once again losing my voice. This lack of voice is going to set me back *months* in talking.

In the midst of the plague haze, while holding down the couch with the basset hound lapdog Tank, there was a knock on the door. Fortunately for me, it was not Death. It was my order from Jimmy Beans Wool.






I had DPNs missing from my collection, and since I've been knitting hats and gloves like no one is manufacturing except for me, I filled in the gaps.





My gift knitting yarns arrived, too.

















Finally, there was a little something-something for myself. It was through a generous holiday/thank you gift certificate from a friend.











I plan to knit this wrap from it.

Sleepless Nights Put To Good Use

Probably the worse six weeks I've had in three years. For those nights I couldn't sleep more than a few hours, I had to do something. Put on a video or the iPod and knit. This is for a friend/colleague of mine.
















I always pin the label to my blocking squares so in case anything should happen to me, my fiber friends will know exactly what it is they're fighting over...







A pouting Tank, who is not allowed in my fiber studio.




It'll be dry by tomorrow morning, and I hope to get some photos of it when my friend receives it tomorrow night.

Universal Recycle, Reduce, Reuse

I was watching Stephen Hawking's program "The Story of Everything," and in watching it, was fascinated all over again that:

A) Albert Einstein said, "Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be changed from one form to another."

B) The universe re-purposes itself all the time with red giants, black holes, pulsar stars, neutron stars, supernovas, etc.

And this got me to thinking about these fingerless mitts (stay with me):



Details on the pattern and yarn can be found on my Ravelry page.

As I stated on Ravelry, the yarn while gorgeous and so soft, comfy, and warm, had stretched to be too large on my hand. So, as the universe recycles itself (as we all should recycle when we can), I decided to recycle/reuse the yarn again for another pair of hand-warmers.

Enter Treads.

It will be my first attempt at a pair of tipless gloves. Wish me luck!

By the way, I also highly recommend Stephen Hawking's books:

A Brief History of Time

The Universe in a Nutshell

The Grand Design

FO - Hats On!

Pooh Bear models the most recent hat, and I *really* dig this pattern. Simplicity, itself.










* * * * *

Needle
US 8 - 5.0 mm
US 7 - 4.5 mm

Yarn
Malabrigo Yarn Rios

How much?
.5 skeins = 105 yards

Colorway
870 Candombe