disappointments

I finally mastered the picot edge for sockbug's lacy scallops socks and got them completely on the sticks. I don't think the dark Koigu really shows off the lace pattern well, but I like the colourway a lot. They'll just be a little subtle, I guess.

Today I had lunch with a really good friend in Seattle. Afterward I decided to head to Yarn Gallery to check it out.

And there I had it, the knitting experience I have been dreading: there was nothing there I really wanted. They had the clear Regia boots in my size (bad for the feet, good to show off the hand-knitted socks), some nice alpaca laceweight in a springy green, the Barbara Walker treasuries 2, 3, and 4. I left with Chibi needles and a sweater de-piller.

Uh oh. Sign of knitting waning as passion? I don't mean to be hypersensitive to this, but usually my interest wanes around the time I get all the accoutrements for a hobby.

Um, on further reflection, probably nothing to worry about. I'd spent the morning working on the computer, and then surfing for sock yarn. I like the Sleeping Dragon stuff, and I'm dreaming about several colors of Socks that Rock. I'm trying not to let myself get all practical and think, what the hell am I going to do with 20 pairs of hand-knitted socks that must be hand-washed?

But what does seem to be true is that the LYS's are less and less compelling to me (with the notable exception of Knit/Purl in Portland, which had Koigu, Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, and tons of STR). Like so many I've been to lately, Yarn Gallery is chockablock full of novelty yarn. For sock yarn, they only had the requisite cubby of self-striping Regia, which since making Heidi's socks just puts me in mind of burlap.

I guess I am a specialized yarn snob now. When I told B about this tonight, he said, "Big surprise. We like something that's expensive and hard to find."

Why is it always that way?

And now, for a little serendipity (since most of my Harvey pics have devildog eyes or miss the pose altogether). . .who knew Harvey's tongue was so long?

heike socks (aka baby cable rib)

I'm loving working on these, though I think the yarn doesn't show the pattern extremely well. They'll be snug and still stretchy, and the pattern's a good one to knit when I'm chatting (I've even figured out how to fix the all-important twisted stitch if I space out during the pattern row). I tried to get a good close-up of the pattern stitch but my camera dyslexia prevents that.

I took them today to my doctor's appointment. This is the first time I've ever done that, but truthfully, I'm a little obsessed with these (see last post). I'm often nervous at the doctor's. Before, if the doctor said he had to step out, I just sat there and well, worried. Today, I thought: good on ya! Take yer time, I'll just sit here and knit. While I was knitting, I thought of several important questions I wanted to ask. Knitting: your key to better medical science!

blogging about knitting is like dancing about architecture

(okay, first--it's not my line. It's bastardized from Playing by Heart, a tweaky little indie flick in which Angelina Jolie plays a part with some great lines that just show off her Angelina-Jolie-ness.)

But it's true--blogging just takes away precious knitting time and can't capture the real thing. And yet, I feel compelled to do it. And read other blogs that talk about it.

All in all, knitting, I'm finding, is proving to be a hobby of some staying power (hallelujah, that's saying a lot for ADD me, I thought it would never happen). A passion even?

Last night I started knitting at 6 p.m. and put my needles down finally at 12:30 p.m. I listened to audiobooks, watched a terrible movie with tasty Heath Ledger, flipped through some reality TV, and knitted. In bed. (I have been needing a self-time fix lately. Thank God B understands me: when we were first talking about moving in together, I said I didn't think I could because he'd find out that some nights I needed to put my pajamas on at 6 and go straightaway to bed. He said he already knew that about me. It's been years since I've done it, but the last few weeks have been particularly people-infused, and my little introvert synapses are fried.)

So I thought when I turned out the light that I'd probably got my knitting fix for several days. But when my eyes popped open at 6 this morning (thank you, Harvey), the first thing I wanted to do was knit. So I knit a bit at lunch. And I just wanted to keep knitting. And now I'm home, I just want to keep knitting. Or read blogs about knitting.

I had a glimpse of the possible depths of the addiction when I went to Madrona a few weekends ago. I just went for the shopping, but I've been feeling a Stitch and Bitch hunger, so I stayed around and plunked myself down in the lobby, meeting two really nice women. We were knitting along, and I realized, I envy them. They had extricated themselves from their daily lives, taken themselves off to a hotel for several days, and every minute of the day, they got to knit, or think about knitting, or talk about knitting, or look at other people's knitting, or learn things about knitting, or buy things related to knitting. And eat. And sleep in a bed that had no snoring husband or dog that likes to get up too damn early. Heaven.

Think I need a retreat?

reports from knitapalooza pnw

Yesterday was my self-appointed Knitapalooza Pacific NW. I've been looking forward to this day for so long! The plan involved hitting 3 more area yarn shops with two new knitting buddies. We had a great time, starting with lattes at Forza, then heading off to Canvas Works for my first visit. My favorites there were the Lantern Moon bags (including Lou's little lantern tote and palm leaf totes),the books selection, their silk yarns and sock yarns). No STR, though, sigh, and no other in-love-with sock yarn. My friend Lou bought some beautiful shell pink yarn for a vacation shrug. Marianne got needles and Wrap Style. I just got this.

Tradition requires a stop at The Oyster House (the clam strips alone were worth the trip), so in we went. An accommodating waitperson had about the same success with my camera as I do, so you get a nicely bright dock view in front of our dark faces:

During our recent cold snap (I haven't often needed two layers since leaving Utah, but my toes and fingers have now been frozen for days), the days have been clear and vivid. A little maritime flavor:

Lou left us after Canvas Works, but Marianne and I pressed north to Hilltop Yarns, with me swatching Koigu along the way. They were having a sale! I bought some bright (okay, slightly garish) Koigu for $5/skein! Marianne found an in-shop scarf pattern and bought the last eensy beensy skein of Alchemy Monarch (70% cashmere, 30% silk). The Lantern Moon bags were 20% off, but they didn't have the selection of Canvas Works, and I didn't feel the need to break out my gift certificate for any "must-haves." Here's Marianne in the Alchemy cupboard corner:

While we were at Hilltop, another customer told us that Tricoter was having a 25% off everything in the store sale. I've been scared of Tricoter but thought well, hell, now's the time to go, with reinforcements and all. It was very definitely on the swank side, with an emphasis on over-the-top couture sweaters, but great service: they offered to wind a hank I liked into a ball so I could swatch and decide whether I wanted it. It was a pretty pink/gray/green hand-dyed and hand-spun thing that I really loved in the hank. The love affair was over when I swatched it, though, and so I said, "No thanks." I then got the distinct feeling that doesn't happen very often (they looked at me like I had switched to speaking Swahili and I thought, hmmm, are they now wondering how they'll sell that very expensive hank of yarn? Maybe they should've thought about that before offering to wind it). While I may have been projecting, I no longer felt like part of the crowd. (There were lots of people saying things like, "Now I must knit something for Mummy.")

Without swatching, I did buy a hank of Nassau from Great Adirondack Yarn Company in Hawaiian Punch colorway for a winter-into-spring scarf (now starring in sidebar WIPs). It's a 50 silk/50 cotton blend. Marianne bought some yummy high-end yarn for a great reversible cabled scarf pattern from Tricoter's menswear book, so I think she redeemed us. And I learned that, if you have kinked cable needles, you can steam the cables to get the kinks out (or use a hairdryer).

Side note: I realized later, if I'd just bought the pink/gray/green ball and taken it home and then swatched it, I'm certain I wouldn't have been disappointed or considered it a failed purchase. Part of the fun of buying the yarn is seeing if you like it when you get it on the sticks, trying to find the perfect pattern for it. It's a bit like Christmas, with these specialty yarns.

But once again, I didn't feel overwhelmed by their offerings. While I can see how the color thing works well for designers and makes it more efficient if you're looking for a particular color, I think my primary draw is the fiber itself. Do I feel like cashmere or cotton? Linen or hemp? I have to do the face-stroking test before the love happens.

It was getting late, and a call to The Yarn Gallery confirmed we wouldn't make it there before closing, so we pressed on to our dinner destination, requiring a trip across the 520 bridge. Here's our lake and our mountain:

(I may have said before that, as a transplanted Rocky Mountainer, it took me years to understand the appeal of this particular view. It always looked like a backdrop to me. Then one day I thought, everyone loves this mountain so much, I should really look at it and see what all the fuss is about. Ahh, the power of purposefulness and observation--of course I looked and immediately saw and understood. I have been reading Timothy Egan's The Good Rain, to learn more about this land, and I recently attended a meeting with an invocation by a woman who is an elder of the Puyallup tribe. Now I find I don't like to think of it as Mount Rainier--it shouldn't be named after some white guy who never saw it.)

A great day, not much splurging for me (B's greatly relieved):

But I learned, a moment after this picture, that Koigu apparently looks a lot like a dog toy. Harvey's not usually interested in my yarn--he often gets inadvertently tangled and has to get it off his nose, but this is the first time he's ever seen it and thought, "Why, that looks like mine."

A small chase ensued, but it's safely back in my stash. And, if you look at my WIPs, you can see I didn't waste any time in getting something on the sticks (using my Denise needles for the first time!).

gauge is kicking my a**

I'm having to become a swatcher. I've started two pair of socks lately, and both gauges are off. Both will have to be frogged, swatched, and re-started. I just want a damn project on the sticks! Something I can pick up and knit during the Olympics (no, I didn't sign up for either of the knitalongs). Now, one might argue I could swatch during the Olympics. My 40"Addi needles, the ones I use for socks, aren't as good for swatching in stockinette (lots of extra Magic Loopiness).

Saturday is Knitapalooza day. Three of us from the work knitting group are going to these shops: Canvas Works, The Yarn Gallery, and Hilltop Yarn. I actually am prepared with a non-yarn wish list, just to be safe: sock blockers, a yarn gauge (see above), a tape measure, Chibi needles, or an umbrella swift. I like to give myself lots of range, see.

easter egg socks finished

And they're in the mail to Mom. I followed the Carole Wulster pattern in Socks: The Next Step and I think they're a bit long for Mom's 7-1/2 foot. They fit my size 9 feet quite snugly, but they still fit. I suspect, though, that she'll forget they can't go in the dryer and will felt them a little bit before long.

Here's how sick I am: today I have the final stretches of my botched root canal--the endodontist appointment that I would've started with if my dentist hadn't just gone in and pulled the root without telling me what he was doing and offering me the choice. I'm actually looking forward to it. Well, not it exactly--and not because I'm still waiting for pain relief. I'm just looking forward to the hours on the couch afterward so I can knit. Sick, sick, sick.

I spent two hours yesterday doing the damn picot edge for sockbug's Lacy Scallops Sock. Mind you, this is the second two hours, because I like doing my socks two-at-once. And at the end, I find there is a weird wraparound piece of yarn, I think from my joining the knitting yarn to the provisional cast-on. It may be a startover kind of problem, not easily fixed. Now this mess is what I have:


Well, it's official. My post on what to make A. for her wedding has vaporized. What to do, Blogger, when your post goes bye-bye after it's published? No "recover post" button for that, is there? Damn Blogger! I'm reminded why it's free. I've tried uploading the same pictures three times now!

a knitting week

First, some pics (if Blogger can stop choking on uploads today):

Harvey's been especially naughty this week. Don't know if it's spring, but as it turns out, I've been pretty naughty, too.

This is what started it all. Last Saturday, I sensed the impending end of Easter Egg socks. There are many, many sock yarns and patterns waiting in the wings. I like the two-at-once Magic Loop method and knew I wanted more Addi's. I really really meant to only buy the size 2's, but found that the ones in old packages were marked cheaper. I got four pairs of 40" circulars in sizes 0, 1, 2, and 3 for $44! This pic also shows the status of Easter Eggs.

Then, at the Superbowl Party on Sunday, my friend Carla and I exchanged Christmas presents. Just like an O. Henry story--I had given her a yarnshop gift cert so she could pick out some stuff and I could finally teach her to knit, and she had given me this amazing Manos (how did she even know the right colorway?) I've been coveting and a gift cert from Hilltop Yarns. Editorially, they really are my favorite shop. All the right yarns, and they get the presentation stuff right, too: this came in the black box, with pink tissue and a pink printed ribbon. Gorgeous.

Tuesday, I finally decided to try and locate the evening SnB group in my town--I'm just not making it to the noon-time work group. I met up with the PacificNeedles--great, friendly and welcoming to newbies, in a coffee shop about five minutes from my house. Several of them said they'd like to learn how to do the two-at-once/Magic Loop for socks. The only downside: I realized that my lovely new sock yarn is also a handspun, prone to breakage. It's such a brilliant colorway, but I'm not sure whether I'll continue with it as socks or use it for something that won't need so much durability. Supposedly it's part nylon, but I'm not seeing it. It's gonna get frogged anyway, because my gauge is way off for the pattern I'm working. Here's a pic of the socks-in-progress anyway:

Thursday was the knittin'ist day of all. I had a meeting in Portland, and when it was over my colleague and I visited this little shop, since it was just a four-block walk from the hotel (the front-desk manager didn't bat an eye when we asked for a knitting shop nearby). I walked in and died. Lorna's Laces, Blue Moon Fibers in all types and weights (including a hank of silk that I should've bought), Koigu, Louet linen, Zephyr. Everything I've been wanting to try. I was too stimulated, and so I just bought one hank of Blue Moon lightweight in Beryl for the leaf lace or raindrop lace socks. Extremely helpful staff at Knit/Purl (I learned how to select variegated sock yarn by holding it out, then squinting to see how it will look knitted up), very knowledgeable, and they even had a kit for the Color on Color scarf/wrap from Scarf Style! A dream place.

That night, I also went to the marketplace at the Madrona Fiber Arts Retreat. I found out about it too late to register for classes but the marketplace is free. Also very convenient to my house, I was planning to go this weekend but thought why wait? I did a spin through the marketplace and lo! Blue Moon was there, too! So I bought another hank of Socks that Rock in Atomic #6. I desperately wanted Pebble Beach, but they only had it in their Tencel blend and I just couldn't afford it. I love their colorways--they have a great range of brights and darks, and even mix them well. So here's my STR stash from Thursday:

I also met a really wonderful woman, Brenda, who's apparently a Stitches West and Madrona regular, though she's from the East Coast. I whipped out my socks, we chatted, and she showed me another way to do the provisional cast-on (I tried and flunked starting the picot edge for sockbug's lace socks in Koigu the other night).

And finally, though it's not yarn, my last splurge: a way to listen to Knitcast and Shopaholic and Sister and other guilty pleasures while knitting without having headphone cords to get tangled. In fairness, I must mention that the mp3 player itself is not new, just the speakers.

(Hey, does Blogger routinely lose previously published posts? My last one appears to have vaporized. . .)