just another raveller

I'm in Montreal, writing on someone else's laptop so no pictures. I'm knitting the last toe on the last plain sock of the year and I have plenty of knitting dreams for the New Year. 1) Finish some projects like the Storm Water shawl and Citron.Those are the most likely to be done soon. 2) Less likely, but no less desirable to finish - the Pine Tree Palatine and the second of t wo lace curtains out of the pale green Icelandic yarn. 3) Mittens. I'd like to practice some new mitten techniques. Before I left the house I was flipping through Favorite Mittens: Fox and Geese and Fences by Robin Hansen and thought I might experiment with different fibres on the Double Rolled mittens on page 36. I'd like to start early and have a pile of mittens to give as presents and donate to the Rochester Mitten Drive next winter. 4) I really like the Yarn Harlot's reflections on knitting a pair of socks each month . By the end of the year, she had 6 pairs to give as presents and ...

It's almost a month since I wrote here last, that long dark month between November and December. I've been humming and hah-ing, writing and re-writing and finally conclude that if knitters near the Arctic Circle Lene and Harpa can present a good face during the short days, then so can I. Love is an old pair of black gloves; at least it has been for me this past week. I knit them a year or 2 ago for my husband and he only recently complained in his mild way that the fit on the baby finger wasn't right. Don't worry, I won't torture you with photos except for this one which shows the fingers after I cut them off. There's an article about gloves in the most recent issue of Cast On . It has now finally sunk into my brain that after you have knit the cuff and thumb and built up the hand, it's best to knit the baby finger first before building up the hand with a few more rounds and completing the other fingers. I don't like the way they tell you to close th...

There was a hard frost here last night. When we went out this morning, the round yellow fruits of the Gingko trees across the street were drop drop dropping onto the pavement. The day was just beginning to warm up. A little later, we passed by a maple tree in Mendon Ponds park just as it decided to shed it's remaining leaves. One, two three, they all fell off with a popping noise. This Coppertina Ninebark is still holding on to its foliage for the time being. And the greenery from the daisies is also quite stubborn. In a word, there's still colour out there to admire. Back from Charleston, I hardly saw the place. I was in meetings almost the whole time, but it was overcast anyway. I know it's a beautiful city from past visits. Very funny comments about the afghan. It's a Salvation Army rescue. I was just so excited about finishing Coquille. Here are some better pictures...

I'm going to Charleston. I may have to take Coquille with me damp! Next up? Maybe Citron out of the Machair that Helen gave me. It was pictured on the Yarn Yard site in 2008, about 2 thirds down this page . It now appears to be a rare, discontinued yarn. Thank you, Helen!

Maybe it's been a long day at work. Maybe you're coming off a complex lace jag. One more Russian chart will make you cry, but straight stocking stitch will just put you to sleep. You like garter stitch, but you're looking for a project with a bit of interest. Something that will let the beauty of the yarn shine through. Something that will use up that sock yarn you keep buying. Something that will show you a different side of short rows. Did I mention that you're not afraid of short rows? Coquille. By Yarnerinas. You know you want to. (Ravelry link here. Queues instantly!)

As a member of the consumer society, I have done my duty. Modestly. I bought the requisite skein of yak fibre . I'll make some mittens. Supposed to be nice and warm. Two skeins of Periwinkle Sheep Watercolors I I sock yarn in the Stonewashed Denim shade. which will likely become a shawl or two. Tina made a nice teal coloured Citron out of this yarn. Skaska Designs 50% Silk/50% Merino . I'm sorry to say that I don't know more about this yarn, such where it came from, but it's awfully soft. It reminds me of Touch of Twist. He was there too, but I bought from him at Hemlock. I would buy anything from Galina. With my eyes closed. Then 2 mohair/merino blended skeins from Persimmon Tree Farms . These are the folks who make Piggy Toes, which I used for the brilliantly orange scarf in the last post. Love their colors. And lastly, 2 sets of leather handbag handles from Homestead Heirlooms , for which I paid more than I would have liked, but which are pretty nifty. They come wit...

I woke up on Sunday morning with the feeling that it was all a dream. Having set out in the dark on a Trailways bus at 5 am Saturday morning and returned at midnight Saturday night, it's hardly surprising. First time at Rhinebeck. Wow. We arrived at the Dutchess County fairgrounds at around 10 am and the place was already packed. There were about 20 buildings, many containing vendors, some with animals. I got bogged down for the first 2 hours in buildings A and B, the highlights of which included losing my hat at Skaska Designs (Galina saved it for me) and a company that sells leather handbag straps. Plenty of knitting to look at, good and bad, but my photographic skills were out the window with my wits. Most of my pictures looked like this. Here you can get a glimpse of some of the lovely flowers which were everywhere: I stopped outside and wolfed down my cheese sandwich. It's really easy to find a place to take a break. There are a lot of wooden benches scattered about. I wi...

I've laid out my clothes and packed my bag. I have only to make sandwiches and a thermos of tea, sleep for a few hours until it's time. Time to catch the bus and be off to Rhinebeck in the morning. I'll be a first timer at the Dutchess County Sheep and Wool Festival . The GVHG bus leaves at the crack of dawn. Am I crazy or what? I'll be carrying the blue mosaic bag of earlier posts. I lined it with pink satin, sewed the zipper to the lining and tacked it inside the bag.

First things first: Status of the Blue Bag - I cut out a pink satin lining for it and found some blue buttons. I'd like to find a piece of card or plastic and cut it to fit the bottom of the bag so that it retains its shape. I'd really like to finish it up this week so I can take it to Rhinebeck. Shandy, it's the easiest thing to make. Just experiment with some leftover yarn that is suitable for felting. Try out a few sample stitches and shrink them and go from there. I knit it in the round which made the mosaic stitch a lot easier - you just repeat the same row twice! Mary Lou , looks like you need a break! I do my best to keep my work at work, but I know it's not always easy. For now, my gadding about continues. Today we went to Canadice Lake and I brought my knitting. The latest: Last week, I started out knitting a Forest Canopy and ended up knitting the border and edging of Aestlight onto it (after adding about 40 stitches on to my last Canopy row). I'm call...

My sister Christina has pointed out that my last post was a full month ago. And where haven't I been these few weeks? I feel as though I've hardly sat down until today, when I decided that enough is enough and I put my feet up. I started the month with a visit to the Federal Building in Buffalo to be fingerprinted for my new green card. I learned that your fingerprints can actually wear off. Some of mine are almost gone. The officer taking my prints paused and regarded me with great satisfaction. "That's from work," she said. It didn't occur to me in time to say that it was probably caused by knitting needles. Books don't rub off your finger prints, tho if they could... From there, we went on to tour the Frank Lloyd Wright House at GrayCliff on Lake Erie. We cruised through Cattaragus county , stopping only for Tim Horton's. We flew past the Zoar Valley which I really want to visit one of these days to it's waterfalls and old growth trees. Finall...

I have interpreted the completion of the GS Catharina as a of license to start a whole host of new projects. The Swing Jacket is brought out only when mindless knitting is on the menu. It won't take long to finish it and the cold weather will motivate me soon enough. My logic may be bit shaky here, but knitting oughta be fun, right? Here is some of what I have been up to. As mentioned in my last post, I started with playing with mosaic knitting , trying to take the technique beyond its usual geometric, crafty look. I used two pale shades of Berocco Seduce, a fine linen/microfibre yarn. One is off white and the other is a variegated blue/gray. I knit a 12' x 4.5" rectangle. I shaped one end of into a flap and sewed up the sides. The resulting fabric feels like a good linen suit jacket. Here's a close-up. You can kinda, sorta see the mosaic pattern. Click. Click. It's held shut by a snap underneath the button. You get to pore over your button collection for this proj...