six sweaters in one week

Of course the title lies, but it gets one reading, doesn't it? Three of the sweaters would fit (will fit) teddy bears. They're samplers, as it were, from classes I've been taking, to try out techniques in a small space: four kinds of pockets, steeking, double pick-up neck edging, tubular cast-ons and bind-offs, invisible hems, knitted bias edging for the zippers, on and on. These best-dressed teddy bears, belonging to Ainsley and Eliza, will be the envy of shabbier toys. Three of the sweaters are "real," and have been being juggled one against another for several weeks.

Norah Gaughan's "Manon," in heather brown Cascade 220 super wash, and Connie Chang Chinchio's "Varese Hoodie,"in the variegated Nova Scotian Fleece Artist (woolie silk). Both of them quite wonderful, better of course in life than in the photos. Thanks to NICOLE at WEBS for modeling them today.

I'll post teddy bear sweater pictures another time (it's 95 degrees here at 5:00 p.m.), and the sixth sweater is a Zimmerman one I started and disliked in March. But I'm hell-bent on finishing all six this week.

Cabling at six thousand miles

Ain't it a little mystery that Elizabeth, down under in Lesotho, southern Africa, can learn how to cable--working on a baby present for her best high school friend--while six thousand miles from Knitting Etc., her knitting mother, and a knittinghelp.com video !! She emailed this picture, to brag about her first cables.

ooops

I've overlooked this poor knitting blog, perhaps because I've been jumping from sweater to sweater to hat to "fearless finishing" projects during the last month. And been working on "real life." But here's one of the four sweaters I've finished, or almost finished, the only one I've got pictures of yet: Connie Chang Chinchio's "Far Afield Vest," from Interweave Knits (Fall, 2008). Modelled by pals at WEBS, the vest was an Easter present for my friend and DIL, and still wants its belt. Knitted in Cascade's Eco Wool--on super sale at WEBS--


I'll snap some of the other projects, even if they're not quite finished, and enter another "got gauge" hello...soon.

Elizabeth knits and so do I

I had my last, last visit with Elizabeth, before she leaves for two months working at an AIDS and tuberculosis hospital in Lesotho, southern Africa. After seeing her last Sunday at Alexander's, and seeing her overnight in Boston on Tuesday and Wednesday, with my mother, I met her at WEBS yesterday, for a two-hour stitch and bitch: she's decided to relearn how to knit, to make a blanket for a dear friend's first baby--a good occupation during twelve-hour flights this week, and post-stress evenings in her little apartment in Lesotho. After I'd devised a pattern, with texture, cables--variety--for her, and after choosing the super-wash Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, we sat in one of the classrooms at WEBS, having a knitty visit. So, above, she is casting on and garter stitching a border. We'll hope to post pictures of her cables and so forth as the weeks go by.

And I've made beautiful headway with Connie's Varese Hoodie:


Though I had another five inches, yesterday, to finish the back, and though these colors aren't true, you get the idea.

Connie's Varese Hoodie and tube scarves

My yarn, to knit Connie Chang Chinchio's "Varese Hoodie," for Elizabeth's birthday JUST ARRIVED (and I have to go to Boston for two days, darn, as I'm chomping at the bit to start this). The yarn, in ""Woodland," is Fleece Artist Woolie Silk 3 ply, not an easy yarn to come by, especially in some of its most earthy tones. But I found a seller in Oregon, who sent along a lovely small zipper pouch, as a bonus for spending (almost ) $100: nice.

While I rubbed my needles together waiting for the yarn, I made inordinate use of the Addi Express, an odd "machine," aka turn it clockwise for half an hour, ouch, that knits tubes of a modest circumference. Some years back, Hickory demonstrated for me by "knitting" a mohair scarf, which I gave to my mother, whose friends in her retirement community quite coveted. So, I asked Hickory to send the machine to me in Northampton, and to send a few balls of Filatura di Crosa Multicolor, a mohair/acrylic delicacy. She sent eight skeins. I worked them all into these scarves; then, like the obsessed princess who couldn't think of Rumpelstiltskin's name, made scarves for my grand daughters, scarves for their Lady Alexander dolls, blankets for their Disney fairies--what a way to bust stash!

I'm very ready to resume hand knitting. I've almost finished the February Lady Sweater, which I hardly like at all, though I'm wild for the Jamieson's Grouse Shetland Heather. I can only hope the finished sweater makes me think less often, than it does now, of shapeless old ladies milking the cows in Michigan while they crochet toilet paper cozies.

w-i-ps

I'm going to hear my favorite Estonian composer this afternoon, Arvo Part, at Amherst College, instrumental and choral works. ( "Lynda, who are your two favorite Estonian composers?" "Arvo Part and . . . .") Preceded by a docent-led tour of relevant Orthodox icons in the art museum's collection. So, will leave behind my computer and its school work as well as at least five works-in-progress, all of them in the smidge, you can hardly see what they will become shapes. So, a little help from me: Zimmerman-derived February Lady Sweater, lace descending, in a rough Jamieson's yarn that will counter the wimpy lace; two fair-isle hats, one in Jamieson's spindrift, one in WEBS Valley Yarns Deerfield (alpaca and silk); and the Blue Sky Alpaca fair isle cowl I'm "designing," quotes to indicate that I'm just doing a twenty-six inch long tube (nine or ten inches around), with patterns that strike my fancy as I go, and the yarn that's left over from two bigger projects from years' past.

Hickory and Steven kindly loaned to me their Addi Express, which arrived on my front porch Friday night along with eight skeins of varied multicolored mohair. I immediately set up the machine, and made a few of the scarves, requested by my mother for her admiring friends, who've liked the tube scarf Hickory showed me how to do a few years ago (that is, Hickory made it for me). Saturday morning, when my grand daughters were over, Ainsley and I made a third; and the girls made off with that one and one that I'd done, dashing my initial hope to take a picture of the mass of scarves--gold spun out of straw, as it were. When I make a few more I'll post a picture.

Valentine's Day Sweater #2

I'll add some text in the next day or so, but wanted to post the pictures of Valentine's Day sweater #2, and its happy recipient, Eliza. My grand daughters had a sleepover with me this weekend, which was marvelous fun, but our night was a bit "short,' and I'm a bit wasted. More later.

Oh, am working now on a sweater for my daughter, the Februrary Women's Sweater, grown up from E. Zimmerman's February baby sweater. I'm working it in Jamieson's Shetland Heather ("Grouse"), and will go pull stitches now, eager to get to WEBS tomorrow to buy a longer needle: I started with a 27-inch lantern moon, and have gone from about 60 stitches to 306, and there's just NO ROOM on the cable.

Valentine's Day sweaters

Well, I fell short of my goal to make two Valentine's Day sweaters, for Ainsley and Eliza, in time for Actual Valentine's Day. But did finish the first one, and am going to work long tonight on the second. I particularly liked the heart motif I found in volume three of Barbara Walker's invaluable books. The sweater, in size 6 for growing three-year-olds, is considerably bigger==longer and wider--than I'd hoped or expected, so the second one I'm now working on I'll do in the round (an irrelevant modification for size purposes), and shorten and narrow a tad, and probably do completely different yokes while keeping Walker's hearts: my grand daughters are in the height of their appreciation for hearts and pinks and purples (and fairies and princesses and and ).

Another nice break

Another nice break from knitting the Puzzle Jacket came with Saturday's morning with Ainsley and Eliza (while the 'rents did some errands and took themselves out to lunch). We did art work, at my house, cuddled under fairy-princess blankets while watching (some of ) MULAN--which was probably the scariest film they'd seen, so we paused and talked about warriors and Huns and why, why, why.

And made Mulan Muffins, to top off our luncheon.

Turn down the thermostat

I finished this afternoon--3 1/2 weeks is trying to spend on one project. But now, let February do what January did, and I don't care how cold it grows (tiddlely pom), I've got this jacket for all winter weathers.

I'm both sick to death of knitting it and rueful that the project's over (sort of like the end of a teaching semester). I'm going to read a book as a transition back to unobsessive life, letting the fingers regain full blood flow, and the mind wander somewhere else.

It's snowing hard

Can't go to the library, the snow's too dense to drive, and too wet to walk in. Excuse number one on this "definite snow day." So, I took lousy pictures of my w-i-p: top picture looks like I've got excessively shiny clean teeth and am sending tons of glowing love outwards.

Went, as is now my wont, to Tuesday's knit-along at WEBS, where the prospect of no leaving home today brought out twenty-five women to knit ensemble for three hours. I do this also on Thursday mornings, and knit my twelve-row repeat as assiduously as I can, having now crept a third the way up the second sleeve. My aim is to finish this sweater before February 1, or on February 1, when WEBS is having a special pre-Super Bowl knit-along, from 1-4. My goal: to have finished the sweater by then, so I can steam-block it with their blocking board and fine steamer. (If I were, instead, to wash and block this monster at home, it might take a week to dry.)

I talked my way into admittance to a special knitting class, starting in late winter: Advanced Fearless Finishing, led by WEBS' knitting guru, the go-to teacher for design and serendipity: Dori Betjemann: here's the course description:

Advanced Fearless Finishing

The Fearless forge on... to pockets, pocket linings, zippers, hems, facings, and other edging options! Certain cast-on and bind-off methods beyond the basic ones will be studied, and students will learn when to select (or substitute) them to enhance a garment structurally (not decoratively - that’s another class!). A toddler-sized sweater, hat and swatches are the projects, and homework is necessary. Your hard work will be rewarded when you apply these techniques to your knitted garments!

I'm skipping the two prereqs, even though Pixie, the head of WEBS education and a fine fellow, said my "sixty sweaters mean nothing," --OUCH--in terms of the graded sequence of skills taught in the two earlier classes. But I think the only thing I don't know, that's taught in the second class, "Fearless Finishing," is how to alter stair-stepped shoulder directions to short rows using the 3-needle bind-off. I can figure that one out, right?

Anyhow, I might find a second class to take as well, so I can bring new expertise back to Knitting Etc., yay.

Okay, enough snowy-day blogging. I'm going to do some school work!

Decorative Welts

I'll post better pictures, when I finish--I still have an arm and some front bands for the left side to knit--but wanted to show, among other contrasts, the "decorative welt," connecting cabled front band to front body, and arm to body. Among the things these pictures don't show: the attached i-cord, on the other side, the edge side, of the cable band.

not spending money

I've been living in Northampton, a sprint, a dash, from WEBS, for three weeks now, and am so proud that I've bought only a single set of Lantern Moon circular needles (and those with a Christmas gift certificate), to enhance the now endless experience of knitting "Puzzle Me This": even on size 8 needles, this jacket is going into its third week. I've made a vague phrased resolution to spend almost nothing, which will make the meaning of "nothing" and "almost" interesting to parse as the weeks go by. I'm loyal to the core to Knitting Etc; I've brought a generous but not overwhelming stash with me, and want the challenge of devising projects in relation to that stash; and I'm on a budget, as doubtless we all are more conscious of being on these last many months.

Since I can't make a dash for "Puzzle's" finish line, since it's a steady and lengthy haul, I took a break last night and started a lovely and popular-on-ravelry beret/toque/tam: "Selbu Modern."
The pattern's picture is above, not my hat's pic, which will follow. I'm using about five colors of Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift, which I brought along with me in my sabbatic stash. And enjoy being on size 2's after all the almost-aerobic workout of knitting the Noro Kochoran, a thick yarn on an only mid-sized needle. And oh, that sweater/jacket is dense.

My favorite discovery working with this "puzzle" pattern: when you do a three-needle bindoff in reverse, the "wrong" way, it's called a "decorative welt." Much of my joy in knitting is in the language, and this phrase lifts my spirits, connecting with make-up artistry and costume parties: "No problem, don't worry, it's okay, it's just a decorative welt."

while I'm knitting that Puzzle...

I'm plugging away at "the Puzzle" sweater, will finish today the body, and get to add some cables as I start the arms--hoorah for difference. Meanwhile, I wanted to share some elephants and other past sweaters, adorning Baby Ryland (who's about to pop out of his elephants) and Ainsley and Eliza, around Christmas time. Sweaters and Sweeties: what's a nicer combination?!

w-i-p

In the frozen tundra of winter, a reasonable person ought never complain about bright sunlight. But I've found a minor gripe ( and can always gripe, when push comes to shove): In the sunlit air above my lap, as I knit this morning, the short angora bits on my Kochoran sweater-in-progress swirl like sperm without direction, lifted, lilting, looking to make a nose sneeze, landing gently on my dark green fleece vest. Yogi, above, has no sperm, so he unwittingly chooses to sleep next to the angora bits: "It's a lovely day to lie near this sweater." Pheromones at work.

If the angora rabbit's hair is so long, where are these spermy bits coming from? And how does she keep her hair on?

Committed now to "The Puzzle"

I paddled by all the sweater patterns I was contemplating on my last blog entry, and will sink or swim, instead with "Puzzle Me This," from Cheryl Oberle's new book, Knitted Jackets. My "Puzzle" will only somewhat resemble this photo, given the Noro yarn I'll be using, and given that I'll make it about four inches longer (and given that I don't have long blond hair or earrings). I sacrificed a pattern with vertical-running lines, which would be more "flattering," but am otherwise happy with the prospect of this project. Elongated (vertical) slip stitches will break up the body's garter stitch, while the texture of the cables, on the front borders and the sleeves, and the saddle shoulders will create narly texture (I did a "Gretel" slouch beret with cables in this yarn last winter, and, though you hardly see their definition, the cables make the beret rock, to my mind--and these cables will be a prize to knit after a long body experience with garter and slip stitch. So, stay tuned.

I will get going on this during evenings this weekend, since I'm not going to Boston this week (but next, when I have evidence of all the shots my dogs require to enter a new "boarding experience": I have to ask my Ithaca vet to fax the shot records to me somewhere up here).

I had dinner at my son, d-i-l, and Ainsley and Eliza's home last night, testing the "Tibetan" in Tibetan Terriers, by leaving the dogs out in a snowstorm, as the temperature sank to 23. We offered them shelter in the garage, somewhat warmer, but they , instead, romped for three hours in the fields, or sat facing into the blowing snow, stoic, majestic, patient (and, yet, eager to go home when I finally emerged). How I love being "neighbors" with my kids! Ainsley was proud to bestow on me her Christmas gift, candles she'd dipped at Yankee Candle, and wrapped in hand-colored paper. Eliza wondered where my knitting was, and requested some more stuffed- animal blankets, "because I take very good care of my animals."

tredding water

I've got the world's last 2000 yards of Noro Kochoran #46, a discontinued colorway: I won't tell you where I am in Massachusetts, so you don't come steal it. I swatch and can't decide.

I've got the last nasty cold of 2008: ditto. I hawk and blow and sit down to rest.

Without, yet, the energy to commit yarn to needle, to begin a sweater/coat with this Kochoran, I wander ravelry, choosing and rejecting, and rechoosing just the pattern I want, and one I can have in an instant not a return U.S. mail. I'm both too tired and sniffly to knit and too impatient to wait for olde-fashioned presses (such as SchoolHouse) to pack up and post a tiny pattern.

Tonight, the options I hover among are "The Dream Coat," one that is perhaps too frisky and "many-colored" for this Josephina, though the vertical lines and the mitered squares are both appealing:
And the Adult Surprise Jacket, that ubiquitous Baby jacket of Elizabeth Zimmerman, grown up by popular demand. My reservations on doing the ASJ have to do with the mess I made of the one BSJ I knitted a year or so ago: I couldn't make sense of the stitch marker placement for the decreases, so didn't have a precise set of lines, one of the trademarks of the sweater. Were I home, Hickory or Suze could explain to me in a heartbeat.

But I'm somewhere in Massachusetts, uncertain and tired.

And there's "Imogen," even the name--especially the name?--I love, another vertical (knit side-to-side) jacket:

And "Tilt," a cardigan with vertical lines below (sort of like the base of the Einstein coat), with wonderful diagonal yoking, and i-cord seaming :
That's sort of where I am in Massachusetts. If anyone is reading this and has a shareable opinion, please share (ldb4@cornell.edu).

I probably won't start knitting until the weekend, as, when I've got the zip and zing, I am setting up my schedule of working in the mornings, on a sabbatical grant book project, going swimming and to Weight Watchers; swinging by WEBS to, daily, not spend a penny. And catching my granddaughters, with six other three-year-olds, doing third position, tap, boogie-woogie, and tumbling, at "Dawn's School of Dance," the hottest show in Pioneer Valley on any given Monday night. I'm going to Boston overnight, to see my daughter before she flies to Seattle for a week of interviews for next year's residency programs; will pop down to Connecticut for lunch with Me Mum. And keep getting organized about my "real" work, with a library carrel at Smith College across the street (do I give my whereabouts away?).

Remember, opinions please!

Merry Smishsmash: A smattering of hats

Merry Christmas, with a few of the hats I've been doing this month.

Just a word: I've not been posting in part because the pictures I'd upload would reveal Christmas presents best left unseen until Christmas.... And in part because I've been finishing my Cornell semester and trying (with little success) to organize my house in advance of renting it out for the six months I'll be in Massachusetts on sabbatical leave. The regularity of a row of stitches corrects the opposite: the confusion of moving photograph boxes from closet A to storage stack B, of heave-ho'ing ink stamps and Easter seals and worn dog brushes, of schlepping things to the dump, the Library book sale, the Salvation Army.

Tonight's a breather, as we gather for family time and time with friends. On the 26th, it's back to packing.