Keep On Keepin' On

Just back from a week in New Jersey - my regular monthly face time visit at HQ. "Hi! How are you? Fantastic!! Glad to hear it. Please keep sending the paychecks. Thanks!" It usually goes something like that, with a lot of other fun stuff in between.

Highlights on this trip include a night out in New York city; a belly busting dinner at a Brazilian BBQ restaurant; four hours of club dancing (yes, mommies can still do that once or twice a year); seeing My Kelli again after a long while; and knit night with KR, Maureen and Deborah. Meeting Deborah in person was an extra special treat because not only is she a talented blogger, knitter and supermom, she is someone I just knew I would love hanging out with, and I did! She's got some great stories too, so I look forward to the next time we get to take over the Barnes & Noble cafe.

Bookstore Knit Night with Deborah
With all the hub-bub of the week, I actually managed to do some finishing. Harry Potter #7 is now under my belt. Mau described it best - "Epic". It's been a long time since a book made me cry (in 3 places!) and laugh, and feel full at the end. It was just enough. I admire Ms. Rowling immensely for finishing out this series in such an excellent manner. If you haven't made it through this one yet - I advise you to hang on through the first half, because the second half is well worth the details in the beginning.

I also finished these


Yarn: Lane Cervinia Forever Jacquard
Pattern: Simple Stockinette, CO 64sts for size 8; slip stitch heelNeedles: KnitPicks Size 1 (2.5mm)Techniques: 2 circ & magic loop methods
In other news - I'm nearing the finish line on the Clapotis. Let's hope the pattern finishes before my yarn does, yikes! You can see the difference in dye lots in this shot, but I think that will be somewhat less obvious when I have it on. I look forward to having this with me on those plane rides to Jersey this fall.





Many, many thanks to all of you who chimed in at the last Round Table discussion. More topics to come, so invite a friend over to contribute. I'm headed to Fort Worth, TX Monday morning, so I'm off to dig for my next travel project. I've got the itch for another raglan pullover, or maybe another pair of socks. It seems I'm never short on options, just sadly short on time.

Have a great weekend!

Planned Patternhood: Who's Got Next? Let's Discuss...

As with any hobby, it becomes easier and easier over time to accumulate the tools and notions that you crave need to continue working your craft. I started collecting needles of all different sizes before I even worked up a stash. Then when I started whipping the stash into shape (humor me, ok?), and I started collecting online pattern links instead; all with the intention of lining up a nice comfortable queue of Things to Make Next. Over time, I found that it wasn’t just what I was buying that would change, it was also how I was choosing what to knit and why. Initially, I chose every project with one rule in mind, it must be a project that would force me to learn and use a new technique, no repeats. That fizzled when I ran into things like steeks, and entrelac, and other skills that I still need more gumption to try.

Last year, I worked myself into a frenzy about knitting gifts for everyone I could think of on my gift list, so my decisions about what to knit next were all based on finding things that those recipients would like. That chaos died down earlier this year (phew!) when my stash reached the Reality Check point and I started my stashalong Yarn Diet. At that time, I decided to choose my next project based on what stash yarn I had. Once again though, to overcome the withdrawl of not buying new yarn for months, I turned instead to stacking up a formidable pattern stash;and so the cycle continues. As a result, my current mehtod is to control my queue by only knitting from(a) patterns I have already purchased or downloaded and (b) yarn I already have in my stash.



How about you? How do you decide what you’re going to knit next? Is your To Be Knit list already so long that you’ve got things to fill the needles from now until the sheep come home? Or are you more inclined to serendipitous stitchery – choosing whatever project strikes your fancy next? What usually dictates your choice – your stash? Your pocketbook? Your slightly overbearing, but ever so charming and always-seems-to-be-right local yarn store owner? Are you a follower of a particular designer, or are you more inclined to make multiple projects from your favorite knitting magazine/website? What about a quest for skill? Does anyone out there knit according to a list of specific techniques they want to conquer?



Along these lines, what kind of projects take priority in your queue? Do you mostly knit any gift items first before considering what you’d like to snuggle up in next? Or are you more concerned with the influence of the season? I know plenty of us here in the south can’t even consider the brush of wool against bare skin in our laps from the months of May until September.



And lastly – what is it about a pattern that makes you say at some point – “Yep. That’s it; that’s the one. Time to cast on!”? For me, a good set of photos and some well-planned styling for a pattern will at least make me read further into the materials, gauge, and size information. If something in my mind says “Hmmm. I can see that on <>", I’m already a good part of the way to adding that item to the list. Recently, I do find that I’m even more compelled by pictures of “real” people in their handknits. Some things that I would never have considered before have since been added to my queue because of FO shots from a blog, or from Ravelry.

So clue us in…How do you decide

What’s Next on Your Knit List?

Stitches Midwest Recap

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Stitches events, these are large annual knitting conventions that are held at 3 different locations around the country, and sponsored by XRX, the company that publishes Knitter’s Magazine, hundreds of knitting books, and puts on annual knitting course retreats called Camp Stitches. The events take place in the spring, late summer and fall in the West, Midwest, and Southeast. Some of the event involves what you might expect from a convention – vendors fill booths from one wall of the convention floor to the other and they have colorful and tempting displays of yarn, raw fiber, needles, spinning wheels, and drop spindles. There is also a huge amount of knit and crochet wear accessories – buttons, purse handles, shawl pins, and beads – oh my! A feast for the eyes. To supplement the eye candy, there is brain candy too. Talented teachers and knit celebrities teach 3 and 4 hour classes covering everything from the basics to the most advanced techniques. Since this is a widely promoted event, you just don’t know who you might run into, take a class with, or learn from. It’s a delight.

This year, I chose to attend Stitches Midwest, and decided to do it right. See, the first time I went – I was a very new knitter and I fell into ALL the pitfalls you would expect. I bought WAY too much yarn (that’s to be expected, it nearly climbs into your bag the instant you pass the registration desk); I bought on impulse, so I got one and 2 skein wonders that I still haven’t been able to align with a project (but goodness me, they are pretty); I didn’t take any classes, which meant that once I got home, I didn’t know much more about knitting than before I went there. There was one thing I did right though, and that was to attend with friends, but also reach out to complete strangers. It was a great time of affirmation that this is not in fact a strange hobby, and that the diversity of my knit sibs is a great thing to behold. So this year, I did what I could to do a little better and to relish the experience even more because of it.


I registered for two classes – Advanced Finishing, and Overcoming the Fear of Cutting. I can’t say enough good things about my instructors Margaret Fisher and Nancy Bush (yes that Nancy Bush). It was a major bonus to know that I could now understand the techniques that were being taught to us, and it was a joy to see the lights go on for my classmates around me, just as they were going on for me too. One of these days, I’ll share a couple of the techniques I learned with some more photos so that I can pay forward what I gained from that experience. Fiber celebrity sightings were plentiful too. We had our photos taken by Franklin for his 1,000 Knitters project, and we were fortunate enough to get bumped in line by Sally Melville and Nancy Bush - hey, who wouldn't let them get cutsies??


>
As for the yarn buying? Well – let’s be honest, this trip was planned since February, and the yarn budget was outlined and secured even before food and transportation were considered. Did I buy more yarn than last year? Nope. Did I buy more sweater quantities of good stuff this time? Yep. Did I buy with specific projects in mind and check quantities, content and gauge? You bet. Did I completely indulge and succumb to some pretty scrumptious goodies that I have no idea what I'll do with? Come on people, I’m a knitter. I will say this, I’m writing this on the plane on the way home, and I think that whether or not my hubby is actually going to come and collect me from the airport is going to depend on whether or not he takes a peek at the old checking account before he leaves out. If you don’t hear from me for a while, I’ll be at Gate C12 fondling the yarn in my carry-on. ETA: Made it home, but the unpacking was done covertly. I'm no fool.



Another benefit of attending Stitches Midwest is that the Chicago area and surrounding burbs are a GREAT distraction from yarn overindulgence. We met up with a few other friends, locals and out-of-towners and enjoyed some of the sites and tastes of the city. Fabulous breakfast at Anne Sather (see the featured menu item from my last post); a picnic in Millennium Park listening to Mahler’s 5th symphony; a long overdue return trip to Chix with Stix to hang out with KK from the KnittingHelp Forum; and the best chicken wings I have ever eaten (bring on the cornbread, please) at Famous Dave’s BBQ.




The icing on it all was sharing it with KR, who is a wonderful travel buddy, navigator, and roomie. She surprised me with the most gorgeous shawl pin for my CPH while I was distracted by some Rowan Big Wool. Thanks Kat!



What else can I say, except, if you can plan for it and attend one of these, I highly recommend it. There is such an instant and genuine kinship that you could just stroll around for hours admiring people’s projects, or you can sit and knit at a table of complete strangers, and not feel strange about it in anyway, or you can fill your days with classes and courses for the things that you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t.

As for me, my 14 month yarn diet begins now. I feel really happy with what I brought home, and I’m going to commit to turning it into things that I will love even more. If it works out well, I’ll be attending Stitches East in Baltimore next fall. Maybe I’ll see you there?

Full Disclosure

Hello all, I'm blogging "live" from Chicago, IL...home to one of the great knitting events, Stitches Midwest. My girlfriend and I came for a long weekend to take some classes, buy some yarn, see the city, buy some yarn, visit with friends from my past, buy some yarn, and eat some great Chi town food, then buy some more yarn. I'll have more to tell once I'm home and things are settled a bit, but for now, here's a photo glimpse of our trip so far (all photos enlarge on click):

Back out here very soon. Be well!

Please Welcome Guest Blogger - Mau

From time to time, I'm going to ask Bloggers who's prose I enjoy to grace this space with their words. The internet allows us some far-reaching connections, but there are still many of us who haven't yet been introduced. I'm hoping to make some of those introductions here by featuring a guest blog post.

This time around, I requested some words of wisdom from a long time friend of mine, and he kindly agreed. The best thing I can say about Mau and his blogging is that he lives what he writes, and there is life in his writing.

Once you've read this post, visit him at his site, and comment there at will. There is great material to enjoy and get you thinking. Thank Mau!


Free Your Mind, and the stuff will follow.
In the United States, at least, the first thing they do to us when we are born is attach an ID band to our wrist. That ID band becomes our first keepsake. Our first item of Stuff. At least, it used to be that way. I read an article a couple of months ago that talked about mothers keeping their positive home pregnancy tests. This is essentially medical waste, and the article mentioned some mothers who carried theirs around in their purses in a toothbrush travel container.

Now, I'm not waving a flag against Stuff, mind you, because I am a Stuff-collector also. I had a phase when I was collecting wooden cigar boxes. I just liked the idea of having a reasonably solid wooden box around to put Stuff in. I must admit that some of them have come in handy, but for what? I have Stuff to hold my Stuff? That's just crazy.

The outdoor garden where my wedding reception was held last year had a little corner with a raised platform in the middle covered with slate tiles. Some of the tiles were yielding to the elements, and were beginning to break apart. Every time I visited the garden, I took a little slate stone chip, and slipped it in my pocket. Now at least one of them is sitting in my medicine cabinet.

I like books. Love them, in fact. I resolved a couple of trips ago that whenever I traveled inside the US, I would find a Black Bookstore, and buy a book from there. I'd write the name of the Bookstore and it's town along with the date inside the cover of the book. A keepsake that contributes to the Mr. and Mrs. Mau Library! All in one! And it fits in carry-on! Who can beat that? But after the book is read, it just turns into something to collect dust and take up space and make boxes heavier when it comes time to move. One day, we won't even need paper books. Everything will be stored electronically. What will I do then?

Yet and still - I am not sorry. I love my stuff. LOVE. My chewing-gum stand that my mother gave me a few years ago. She found it in some little shop when she was traveling. It reminded her of when I was a kid and used to store gum on my bedpost during the night when I wasn't quite done with it. Yes. I did it. I've never used that stand, but I still have it. Two containers full of rocks that served as centerpieces for my best friend's wedding. I drove that stuff all the day down from D.C. to Atlanta. Right through a hurricane.

Well, those rocks will probably leave soon. Why? Because even though I am not entirely Stuff-Repentant, I am trying to be Stuff-Progressive. Since my wife and I combined our Stuff, this house just seems a little smaller. And we plan on starting a family (one day), and that's CERTAIN to generate more stuff so something has got to give.

Are you ready for a change? I'm going to give you a simple method that you can use to put you on the path to being Stuff-Progressive.

Every time you prepare to take something into your home, or even to purchase something to take to your home, ask yourself: "Do I really want/need this in my house?"
That's it. If the answer is no, don't buy it. If the answer is no, then put it in the trashcan in your garage and it'll be gone within a week when the trash is picked up. If the answer is no, then maybe make a stop past the Salvation Army or the Goodwill and donate it. That's. It.

It'll be hard at first. I just got back from a trip to Puerto Rico. I did some shopping, but couldn't find anything that I wanted to give to my wife, or even something decorative that I wanted in the house. So I didn't get anything. I did, however, find something for my sister-in-law. How crazy is that? I get a gift for my SIL, but not my own wife? The house didn't take on any new clutter, though.

Yes, folks. We are in a war against clutter. I'm a pretty big offender, but I'm trying. You should try it too. Free yourself from your clutter. Your life will feel...more free (free-er?). Your mind will be more open. Your eyes will be more relaxed when they don't have to pick through a zillion useless things to get to the thing you really want.

I'm going to give you a hint. If you come across something that you really want to keep, but find it difficult to get rid of it, take a picture. It'll last longer. Whip out your trusty digital camera and take some photos. Upload those photos to Flickr or send them to yourself on Google or something. DO NOT burn them to a CD. That's just more stuff. Got it?

Try it.

Know What I'm Sayin'??

Conspiracy

Just when I started to think I had this time management thing licked...

~ An Ode to Joy~

You know the drill, no spoilers please (and I don't mean for the IK - I cracked that open before I got it in the house).

Coming soon... a guest blogger will grace this space, and we'll have ourselves another go 'round the Discussion Table!

Knitty's Amy Singer & Lettuce Knit Loot

I keep getting these great reminders of why traveling for work doesn't entirely suck.

First stop - Tim Horton's Doughnuts - a Canadian gem!

I crossed the Canadian border last weekend and found a fiber haven - none other than Stephanie's infamous hangout, Lettuce Knit in the coolest, very hip(pie)st part of downtown Toronto. What a treat! I had this on my Sunday plan just as soon as I found out I'd be traveling to TO (which was 2 days before the trip by the way), but here's a photo review of some of the unexpected treats that awaited me there.


Green Art


Lettuce Knit Yarn Shop

Denny, TO's coolest LYS owner

Upon entering the store, I overheard a a fellow knitter and Knitty fan, Julie talking with another person in the store. Julie was just so sweet and modest that when I saw who it was she was talking to - I realized the source of her shyness. Knitty's Amy Singer was in the house! After some chit chat and some truly admirable patience(we'll get to that in a minute), a great little story unfolded.




The story behind Julie's patience is that when she very modestly introduced herself to Amy, and Amy greeted her immediately like an old friend, I could see a HUGE photo opp awaiting us, so I offered to be the photographer (knitters, bloggers, you know how this works.) Well, wouldn't you know it - my camera batteries picked that very second to crap out. But I don't give up that easily. Julie was getting this picture, and if I was lucky, I'd get one too. It took me 3 trips to 3 different stores and alot of running down the streets of mid-town TO to get them, but batteries were procured and photos were taken. I didn't post Julie's photo here because (duh) I forgot to ask her permission to do so, but she has my blog address now, she'll let me know ;)

Knitty Buddies

So, the only thing that could come a close second to meeting Amy Singer in person, is NEW YARN!

HandMaiden Ottawa

My first Manos del Uruguay!
Traveling for business and pleasure - such a welcome combination when you're a fiber fan. As a Canadian citizen, there's a special place in my heart for Canucks who love the yarn and the needles. If you've never been, I highly recommend a visit - tell them I sent you!

From the Mouth of Babes

Adachi (to Mizan): PBS Kids says that an asteroid is coming toward earth

Mizan: Oh no! We need to tell mommy and daddy, and then they can tell God and then God will do something about it.

Seems to me they have the logic right (even if PBS Kids might have their information wrong).

May I Present: The Walnut Raglan Pullover

C'est Fini! Knit in 18 days. Pretty happy about that. This project monogamy thing is not half bad!

Pattern: VERY loosely based on Circumnavigate from the book Children's Sweaters & Hats: Knitting Seamless Raglans Top Down by Mary Rich Goodwin
Size: Child's size 6, 28” chest circumference


Yarn: Plymouth Encore Worsted in Walnut (from Stash)
Yarn Amt: almost 600 yds (200 yds per ball)
Needles: Knit Picks Option - US 8 (5mm) for body and sleeves, US 7(4.5mm) for ribbing on sleeve cuffs, US 9(5.5mm) for bind off on all edges
Source: Great Balls of Yarn in South FL


Modifications: 3x1 ribbing on the lower body to avoid too much pulling in. I nixed the Fair Isle patterning but did use the suggested short row yoke method to pull the back up slightly (love that!); made the sleeve ribbing 3" instead of 1" and bound off loosely for a slight flaring effect.


Raglan yoke was done with evenly spaced increases, but the number of stitches from the join of each section was varied around the yoke; sometimes I would inc 4 sts before and after the marker, sometimes 6, then 2, then 10. Because of this there is no distinct raglan line, but the shaping is still that of a raglan yoke.


Cast On: 6/29/07 during a weekend trip to Tallahassee & Jacksonville
Cast Off: 7/17/07 during an episode from Season 3 of the Gilmore Girls


I think she likes it!

This is about as bread & butter as knitting gets. Knitting in the round; stockinette with a bit of ribbing; only 2 armhole gaps to close and a fit-as-you-go construction from the top down. 5 stars in my book. Now I want one for me...

What is it About a Deadline

...that suddenly makes me OK with monogamous knitting?

I've woven in ends, I have one sleeve to go, and I'm happy with the overall (albeit baggy) fit. I think I just might make the deadline for my Stashalong goal for July.







Who knew I could churn like this when I put my mind to it? Better not tempt the Fiber Fates though...I'll get back to my project A.D.D immediately. Well...after that second sleeve is done of course.

Progress

From this ...

...to this

...to this

Good to the last bite! Only 27 more in the yard to go... wish I could share with you!

In other news, my trip to Jersey was quite productive knitwise, I have a deadline of July 31st to finish a sweater for Adachi, and...

So far so good!

Have a wonderful and restful weekend.

Startitis*

*n. /start eyetis'/: A common condition affecting those involved with handcrafting, specifically the fiber arts. Primary symptom is an overwhelming need to begin multiple projects, usually before other projects have been completed.

That's right. What you see there is a picture of what I assume must be the 9,000th Clapotis cast-on and in progress. Was I expected to resist it though, really? I mean with sites like this one showing proof that you truly can make this scarf/wrap in just about any yarn, and with pictures of finished objects posted everywhere on the net - did I ever really stand a chance? Obviously not.

Stats:
Pattern: Clapotis by Kate Gilbert (uh huh, you have this one bookmarked too, right?)
Yarn: Auracania Atacama Alpaca in Color 506, 10 skeins to make a large wrap
Needles: started on US 7 (4.5mm), but dropped down to a 6 (4.0mm) for a firmer fabric
Gauge: 5.5 sts/inch in the stockinette areas

Have you made one yet? I sure would love to have links to see some finished by you. If not, let me know if this is in your queue...perhaps we could knit along on it together? Good times.

I can't finish up without saying, simply - YOU ROCK! Our last round table discussion was a good one, just as I hoped. As you could see, we share some common hesitations with our pointy stick passion. Mostly I was impressed with the positive attitude that still comes through when you write about what you do plan to tackle when the time is right. Love, love, love the conversation. We'll have more of them too. Why not write and tell me what you would like to chat about and hear about from your fellow handcrafters? I'm always willing to take Round Table suggestions, so speak up!

Sending you sunshine and good thoughts from blistering summery New Jersey this week. Stay cool!

Skeery Knits: Techniques That Terrify...Let's Discuss

My good buddy Sean and I first "met" in cyberspace and discovered that we had a string of random things in common - Florida, knitting, similar page protectors for our patterns and fasting for better health. You can check the archives for more on any of those topics, but I'm including this disjointed intro to say that our stars aligned yet again today. I was just thinking this morning that we're due for another go 'round our discussion table, and there he is in the comments saying the very same thing. Thanks for the nudge Sean!

This discussion is one that I've wanted to open for some time, and to break tradition a little I will include my own answers within the call for responses. I've been spitting out FOs left and right lately (and there now, I've just jinxed that by writing it...ah well). Each of those finished objects is the product of thousands of stitches and anywhere from one to 5 different techniques. In some cases, these are things I had tackled before (cables, shaping, picking up stitches, Turning A Heel.); and in others, the techniques were new to me, and therefore quite daunting (magic loop knitting, 2 socks on 2 circulars). But in all cases, I knew that there were only a few ways to skin the cat, if you will, and without pressing ahead with a specific technique, the project just would not be finished. Believe me when I tell you that the thought of some of these steps gave me great pause. In fact, something as simple as mattress stitch seaming up my Central Park Hoodie caused me to neglect it for weeks. And don't get me started on what picking up over 300 stitches evenly did for my confidence (shudder). For my Sangria Socks, I snapped a dpn and cursed another pair of socks tying up my circulars before I finally buckled down and googled "Magic Loop" to get the pair finished on a spare needle. Why so afraid of these things? Well, they were either unfamiliar to me, or they had very negative associations based on what I had heard or read from other knitters.





Speaking of other knitters...there is much talk of knitting stardom around our community, and what constitutes a really good knitter. Whether someone is or isn't a Knitter with a capital "K" gets tossed about quite a bit. And let's face it, we all measure how "good" a knitter is by what techniques they have been willing to try, and by how well those attempts come out. Now, allow me to digress for a minute - the amount of courage one has does not always directly equate to the measure of one's skill. To see that someone has braved Fair Isle, or a moebius, doesn't necessarily mean they are a better knitter. So to put such a knitter above yourself based on their courage to try such things doesn't seem quite right to me. I think learning to cast-on at all, and then sticking with it is about the height of knit bravery, because really every other thing is just a product of that, right? Hmmm..that may well be a discussion for another day. I will concede that if you have tried or are willing to give certain knit tricks a go, then you do deserve the admiration you get when it works. Hopefully, as a group, we can agree to let those examples inspire us.



But we're not talking inspiration today folks, we're talking fear.
I assume you all traverse the web at least as much as I do, and if you haunt the library and bookstore craft sections as I do, then you've probably seen just about every technique out there. Which of them just gives you the heebeejeebees? Is it mitered squares? How about (GASP!) steeking, or shadow knitting? Have you done a sock yet? What about cabling without the use of a cable needle? Is it tools that get you shook? Are you afraid to branch out in the round by trying those new fangled circular needles? Maybe you throw (English) and you've considered trying to pick (Continental), but haven't made the switch. And what about yarn and pattern types?! Does the thought of lace knitting with cobweb weight yarn on size 0000 needles just make you dizzy? (That one makes me a bit lightheaded I must say)

You'll notice I intentionally didn't link to many of these techniques I've mentioned and that's because (a) I trust your research skills, and (b) I would not want to bias your answers here by linking to some page/example that actually makes you afraid to try something you were not daunted by before. However, please feel free to share your own links with the group - links that address the dreaded techniques you see listed by others, or those that show examples of your own unconquered skill. That way we can better appreciate what makes you quiver, or we can find something to add to our own list of Techniques to Tackle.



So, Share with the group...we promise we won't laugh. If anything we'll more likely say things like "Mmm hmmm, I know that's right." Let's name the enemy, call it out and face it together! Just think - this could be the start or the expansion of your knitting arsenal. Pull up a chair, and let's discuss...when it comes to your knitting,

What techniques terrify you?