Oooo, check this out!

My friends at Soapdish in Burlington just launched a new site.

There's still a little tweaking, so keep checking back.

Here's something you never see on my blog

Scarves. *snerk*

Here is the Sari Silk Scarf knit from the recycled silk yarn I picked up at the Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival. Note to anyone using this yarn: when you are blocking it (yes, I gave it a cool, handwash bath), you will need to open all windows and extinguish all open flame, 'cause dang! The fiber smells as if it is magically spun from pure gasoline. Once the scarf is dry, there are no worries (and I didn't detect petrol fumes when I knitted it, just some not-unpleasant funky organic scents). Truly, I love this scarf - the way the colors surprised me as I knitted it and the way it drapes.

Scarf details: Wool Peddler Kathmandu Unrefined on #7 Inox straights. It's about 5' long, 3 3/4" wide.

Pattern (over 20 stitches)

Row 1: K3, YO, K2tog, K12, K2tog, YO, K3

Row 2: K3, Purl 14 (including the YOs), K3

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until desired length. The K3 on each side helps the curling issue (and the blocking takes care of the rest of it). I tapered the ends by decreasing/increasing the K2togethers at the appropriate ends.

And here's a little glimpse of Red Scarf #1 (ayep, the wonky one is frogged back to the diamonds). This one is knit with some leftover Koigu and the red alpaca cone that will not die

Start your needles!

Here we go!

My entry will be from 2 skeins of Jawoll Superwash Cotton in my favorite pattern on #2 Brittanys (as modeled by Senor El Cinco).

Yes - the 2 skeins are 2 different colors - I scored each of them for a dollar!

Right now, my thought is to knit alternating bands, which

may look funky-cool with the pattern's vertical ribbing.

Stay tuned for the verdict.

A bag and a view

First a bag winging its way to CIC - yarn and knitted goodies accumulated from my stash and various other knitting f(r)iends. Not pictured are two large Ziploc bags of toiletries, etc also included in the box. If you love shopping the samples section of your local drugstore, I encourage you to check out the CIC site for needed items and MAIL THEM.

Here's a pic of my knitting spot for Purl. Really - it's my spot. I just let the cats think it's theirs. I'm doing a pretty good job, if I do say so myself.

Of Grandparents and Squares

Here are my squares for the Grandmother Purl project. I started knitting with the idea I would do 2. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to knit one for each of my grandparents. So that's what I did. Sadly, I was never able to knit for 3 of my 4 grandparents, but I'm thinking these squares will honor someone else's.

From left to right: (all squares were knit with yarn from my stash. I think my grandparents would have appreciated the frugality of it all!)

Block 1: In memory of my grandfather William Cryder (who died when I was 5 months old). This square is Jawoll washable sock yarn in a green/yellow/red colorway (the ball band has long since disappeared) knit together with black Peruvian alpaca in a fingering weight. I love how the square looks like stained glass. I threw in some vertical twisted ribs to add some texture to the plain garter stitch.

Block 2: In memory of my grandfather Charles "Shep" Shetler. This square is a basketweave stitch done in Berella Country Garden D.K. machine washable 100% Merino, in a soft sage green. The yarn made me think of how Pop-pop loved to garden, especially irises.

Block 3: In memory of my grandmother Lula "Sister" Shetler. This square is pink/lilac/taupe variegated wool sock yarn from Dorchester Farms knit with Froehlich Wolle washable sock yarn in taupe. I did an open dropstitch pattern in keeping with Grammie's love of crochet. (If I had really planned this out, I would have figured out how to do a chevron pattern.)

Block 4: In honor of my grandmother Irene Nell Holcomb Cryder. This is the first block I knitted for the project. It's a trinity stitch square combining 2 strands of Baby Ull; one in periwinkle, the other a sky blue. I used the trinity stitch to honor the fact she has been a spiritual mentor for me and the colors are her favorite.

Thanks Kristy and company for taking on this project! I hope we have enough squares to give to all the residents.

Don't make Soba angry.

Just do it!

Third time's a charm?

The swing coat is frogged. The more I knitted, the more I realized I really didn't need a chunky-weight, bumpy garment on this chunky-weight, bumpy body. So I riffled through the "maybe-one-day-I'll-knit-this" binder and came across a pattern ripped from a Woman's Day magazine circa February 1996. It's a reverse stockinette rib turtleneck. Hmmm...I like the 1 x 3 rib and I'm a turtleneck girl through and through. I decided to tweak the pattern a tad by not reversing the stockinette, doing a mock turtleneck, bracelet-length sleeves, and a faux-button placket up one side seam.

So I merrily frogged the swing coat and cast on for the turtleneck. Hmmm again. Clearly I was still suffering the aftereffects of a long work week, because I cast on the 2 x 2 rib hem and then moved into the 1 x 3 ribbed body.

Houston, we have a problem.

Ayep, there be some weird ribbing issues here. And friends? I continued knitting. Clearly, I live in the Land of Delusion, on the banks of Denial. This morning, armed with a cup of coffee and a full night's sleep, is Frog Fest #2. I'll be casting back on in 1 x 3 ribbing, hoping it's the charm.

Wonky and Wild on the West Coast of New England

I ended up going to the VT Sheep and Wool Festival. I wasn't gonna - crappy weather along with morning and evening plans on Saturday seemed like the excuse I was looking for. Right. Uh-huh.

This is some recycled silk yarn purchased from The Wool Peddler. I have knitted with recycled yarn before, but I really like this all-silk version. You can't tell from the wonky photo, but it's shiny, soft, and making a perfect little 'tossed-on chic' scarf for moi. I also purchased some funky yellow-green handspun/dyed wool (sorta the same color as the background of the lower left quilt block above) from a little NH farm with no website.

IMHO, the Sheep and Wool Fest wasn't nearly as much fun as last year (and it has nothing to do with the fact it wasn't the same weekend as KYarns Tent Sale.) The location at the Fairgrounds had moved and the exhibits/vendors were in two different buildings instead of under one roof. Many of us trotted down one path only to be redirected and backtracked by fair personnel (note to the powers that be: signs are our friends). It didn't seem there were as many vendors (no Dorchester Farms this year...wah!) and far more roving than a non-spinner needs to see. But as I said, this is just my humble opinion.

In other knitting news: a finished pic of the Dangerous Serengeti Wrap (it's folded in half here), appropriated by Miss Cashew who is fighting the good fight with another bladder stone (we believe she is winning this one thanks to a special diet).

Here's the start of the Top Down Swing Coat. I'm trying to ignore the sneaky suspicion that I may not have enough yarn.
And to confirm my total lack of self-control in the WIP department, here's a pic of Red Scarf #1, utilizing the OCD squares. This is a case where the object is definitely wonky, not the photograph - I just need to decide how much wonk I'm willing to deal with.

Fun and Trouble

First, the fun. Here are the scarves for Burlington's October Breast Cancer retreat. The scarf on the left is double-stranded antique pink (it's really not the coral-y color you see here) alpaca in a feather and fan lace pattern done on #7 Addis. The simple drop stitch scarf on the right is Berroco Suede in Chickadee Pink done on #13 Brittanys.

And the trouble as you can probably guess from the sneaky little calico foot is Miss Isabelle hiding under the stool, swiping at anything that passes by. Senor El Cinco is not that impressed.

An open and shut case

Ayep, my poor attempt at crafting humor. It wasn't until I was sewing the ties on the needle case last night that I realized this is perfect for this month's Project Spectrum (we're all about the neutrals.) The ouside of the case is a chocolate brown Morris print, the inner cover is a cream/lilac mini-print, the needle sleeves are chocolate felt all wrapped up with black bias tape edging. Hopefully, my tapestry and sewing needles will feel safe and secure here and not want to go MIA in the sofa cushions.
This is scarf #1 for the October scarves project. A LYS (Knitters Laine, no apostrophe or website) is providing scarves for a breast cancer retreat to be held in Burlington in October. This is a feather/fan pattern using the pink 'alpaca cone that will not die' from the stash.

The Zone

It must be the lack of vacation, work-related stress, or both - but all I want to do it knit. And not complicated projects. Just the mindless back and forth of stockinette or a wee little pattern. We all know this 'zone' which brings the noise in your brain down to a low roar, eases the tension headache right behind your eyeballs, and gives you the appearance of being busy enough to keep people from demanding other things from you.

I've got zero to show - progress continues on Serengeti and the October Scarves but I will leave you with a pic of Pip doing what he does best.

It's a Par-tay!

Join in the fun! There's plenty of time to plan

(and by plan, I mean 'add to the stash'.)

A sense of accomplishment

I'm indeed very happy to report the burgundy scarf is off the needles. It ended up being about 4 3/4' long (let's not even go there about rounding it off to an even 5', shall we?) There will be a pic when I gather all the accumulated goods to send to CIC (probably at the beginning of next week).

Here's the little Pinki hat for another coworker's new niece. It was a quick weeknight knit on #6 Inox needles using girlygirl pink Berroco Plush. Nothing too fancy - the yarn is the focus.

Pinki is resting on another project I finished this week - a handsewn lining for my blue suede bag. I was not enjoying how the suede's wrong side kept leaving little blue bits on my knitting. So using the lessons I learned from the Citrus Rib Bag, I made up a lining I'm very happy with and that will allow me to use the blue bag more frequently.

I'll save the weekend's show and tell for later. I will tell you it involved a visit to here and here as well as a new knitting project.

Twisted Rib Cardi

This sweet little sweater is for Baby Sam, my friend Snoozie's new baby nephew. Sam was born with perineal anoplasty which will require a series of surgeries over the next few months. However, Snoozie is happy to report he is a whopping 7 lbs and the most beautiful and contented baby she has ever seen.

The Twisted Rib Cardi took a smidge over 2 skeins of Plymouth Wildflowers DK on #3 needles (for the ribbing) and #4 needles for the body. The buttons are little green ceramic dinosaurs purchased from KYarns. The whole sweater is supposed to be knit in pieces and seamed. I chose to knit the fronts and back, seaming the sides, then picking up stitches around the armholes and knitting down the sleeves. I think it worked out well - no futzing with setting in the sleeves and I had the added bonus of knitting the sleeves in the round.

This is definitely a do-again pattern.

The most comfortable seat in the house

When it's 99 degrees and eleventy bazillion % humidity?

Why the CatMan's lap, of course!

June PS FO

Denim Socks out of Schachenmayr Blue Jeans 100% Cotton yarn. Knit on #2 Brittanys in a random rib from my favorite sock pattern (and no, the heel is not wonky, just the photographer!) I used just under 2 skeins.

Knitting for those who need

October 2007 Red Scarf #2

October 2007 Red Scarf #1

Mali Baby Hospital Missions 2007

Dulaan 2007

Red Scarf 2007

Military Helmet Liners

Children in Common Bag of Goodies

October Breast Cancer Retreat Scarves

Hats for MA WIC babies - July 2006

2005 KYarns Charity Knit - December 2005

August PS - The Dangerous Serengeti

Ok, I'll admit it - I've been cheating. You see, I found this loverly Cherry Tree Hill Jumbo Boucle in the 'Serengeti' colorway and I HAD to buy it. And I was going to wait until August's PS Neutrals theme to cast on for a warm winter wrap. But the call of the wild yarn was too strong. Must...knit... So I casted on in June and am through 1 1/2 skeins already.

And why the overwhelming urge to buy this particular colorway? Well, other than the sheer gorgeousness (tawny browns/rich clarets/ some dusky blues and greys), 'Serengeti Cat' is one of our nicknames for Miss Isabelle. She's so full of attitude, we believe she thinks she could actually survive there. So you see, I really had no choice. Really.

Twisted Rib Cardi

Here's a pic of progress so far. I'm using some dove grey/lavender Wildflowers DK (cotton/acrylic) from the stash for this project. I know people have issues with knitting cotton, but I'm finding this yarn easy to use. Of course it helps the scope of the project is for a baby. The pattern was copied from a book YEARS ago - ack! I'm having fun with this one.

Farm Living

People are amused to no end when I tell them I live on a farm. I'm amused when my day starts off encountering my 4-footed neighbors. For instance, today I played horse wrangler. Ayep, as I pulled out to go to work this morning, Miss Diamond (all of 6 days old) was standing in the middle of our parking area. She did not want to be herded back to the lush pasture on the other side of the fence - probably to avoid the equine chewing-out Momma was gonna give her. Luckily, our farmhand extraordinaire showed up just in time to save the horses from their state of distress and me from electrocuting myself as I tried to figure out how to open the pasture fence.

This little adventure made up for the fact it was 90 freakin degrees when I woke up this morning. In our bedroom. With the windows open and the fans going.

But I'm not letting a little heat get in the way of knitting. Nosireebobcattail. I started swatching a sweater for a co-worker's new baby nephew. It's a sweet little cardigan with a fake cable rib.