Almost Autumn

Almost Autumn in Pennsylvania....
Cooler, almost crisp temperatures, clear blue skies, hints of leaves turning vibrant colors here and there. You can almost smell it in the air. It's my favorite time of year.
The road leading to our house......

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. ~Albert Camus

Busy!

Busy, Busy, Busy! We're busy with school, soccer, finishing the move (The realtor for our old home takes the realm tomorrow), and busy with life in general. Knitting time has been scarce and precious.

But I did cast on for this project at a baseball game the other week. Who needed to watch the Yankee's play their minor league game anyway? :) If you recall, we are all about the Phillies around here.
In the knitting realm, I'm all about the Madelinetosh Yarn lately......
Here's a Chickadee Cowl in Mansfield Garden Party colorway, sport weight yarn - destash from Zonda, and paid for with my Yarntini destash. Gosh, I love yarn swaps! :)
Pattern: FREE - Chickadee Cowl by Kirsten Kapur - modified to fit sport weight yarn.
Needles: US#8 Bamboo
Yarn described above.

The only problem with this project is that I'm a yarn "thrower", and there is a lot of wasted hand movement when I'm knitting this project. But the fabulous color and woven effect of the linen stitch make it all worth the while.


I'm really enjoying the cooler, almost fall weather we're having this week in PA. It' s my favorite time of the year. I hope you're enjoying your knitting where you are too!

Instant Gratification

I'm a bit too tired and just "out-of-sorts" to write about anything major here. But a little instant gratification always does wonders for the soul.
Cove Purl Ridge Scarf by Stephen West of Westknits.
Yarn: Madelinetosh Vintage Worsted Weight in the Cove colorway, hence the name of the project.
Needles - US#7 - Signatures circulars. LOVE THEM!
Great pattern, great needles, great yarn. And a gift for a Great (as in wonderful, awesome, rockin') Aunt, who is more like my sister. Happy Birthday, Adrienne!
This knit's for you.

Daft

I have always been a fan of a British accent. I have always found English accents to be charming for the most part, and I find myself gravitating to their vernacular in ways that seem odd for an American citizen. I love it when they say, "Bugger," and "Bloody" with such passion. I realize those statements might be a form of swearing, so I'm not really sure I should be holding them in such a high esteem for the use of those words in particular. Sometimes it's just fun to say that I took a "snap," or I have to go to the "Loo." And I'm totally fascinated with the whole tea thing.
Hmmm....where is all of this leading and how does it relate to knitting? I'm sure you are wondering, as I'm not truly convinced that I know most of the time either. But there is a British word or turn of phrase that describes my current state of affairs in regards to a baby blanket in question.....

DAFT. I must be DAFT to think that I'm going to finish this blanket by 9/11/10. But then again, stranger things have happened. The blanket is not hard knitting - it's only garter stitch. It's finding the time to knit and not feeling guilty about it. That's the key. How do you make time for knitting? Is it ever a guilty pleasure for you?

You Had Me.....

Dear Dream In Color Yarn,
You had me with the Tulip Cardigan. Really, you did. Only then I didn't know what the sex of THEIR baby would be (please note use of possessive). And I had such a passion to order your yarn (please note that I didn't USE it immediately, as I was saving it for the RIGHT baby). Now I know of said baby, so knitting must commence.
I'm really impressed with the feel and "squoosh" factor of your yarn. And really, your colors are fabulously bright for a neat baby project. But not knowing the sex of said baby at the time of purchase of this yarn, I did not choose the Tulip Cardigan pattern. Yes, I know, you do make the cardigan pattern in "masculine" colors and styles now. Your marketers should get a raise. But, I digress yet again. That's not what we're here to talk about. It's your re-skeining that stinks. I'm not sure if you do it manually, or if you have a machine. Either way, you had better take a hard look at this component. Because when a knitter decides on a project, as I have done......., she usually likes to wind up the yarn and cast on for said project immediately. Now we may have a different definition of the word, "immediately," but I'd say in most cases it means in 5 minutes or so (from a knitter's standpoint). You can't work in the fiber industry and not know about the siren call of new projects and the excitement of working with such beautiful yarn.
Anyway, my point is, I uncurled the hanks. I placed them on my swift, and fired up the ball winder. The first two skeins had me loving you even more than I have already professed. They wound up so nicely. But then the trouble started. I fought with the Blue Lagoon as we were winding away, but she was able to stay on the ball winder and swift. But Lipstick Lava made me almost cry. He needed to come off the swift in a hurry. Needless to say, I spent more than 30 minutes with him wrapped around my neck, trying desperately to get him onto the ball winder. Beach Fog threatened his head too, but I gave him "The Look," and he settled down quickly. And finally, at long last, I can show you my stack of cakes. Now the problem is that it's time for bed. Will I have any energy left to start this new project? I better well have, as the finished project needs to be done by 9/11. Irony? I think not!

Sincerely,
Knitting Kris



Project:
Rocketry Baby Blanket
Needles: Size US #7
Dream in Color Yarn in the following colorways, from top to bottom: Strange Harvest, Beach Fog, Blue Lagoon, Visual Purple, Happy Forest, and Lipstick Lava.
Cast on date: Tonight, if I have any energy left.
Happy Monday!

Just Another Manic Monday

Here at Mountain Woman Central, it's life as usual - maniacal and crazy. I'm playing the Bangles as I write this post.....are you all old enough to remember the Bangles? They were/are a typical 80's group. I find it amusing that I can listen to all these great old songs on the Internet. Can I just say that we love our DSL? We had just advanced to DSL about 3 months before we bought out new-to-us house, and then the panic set in about whether it would be available where we were moving to, with the location being somewhat more remote. So, I called the company, and they of course threatened, "No service available Ma'am." I almost cried. Wait, I did cry. It's so easy to use the computer with it, and the thought of satellite or worse yet, dial-up, was too much to bear.....But alas, some strange man named Jonathon (no last name) from the West Coast, called one Saturday before we moved, and lo and behold, there is service available. After a lot of whooping, general jumping around, and acting maniacal again, I calmly thanked him, and kissed the phone when he hung up......long story short. Here at the base of the mountain, we have DSL. Yes, yes, we do!
But I digress......you're here for knitting content. So here's the latest shawl....

Hamamelis shawl by Kirsten Kapur of Through The Loops.
Yarn - The Plucky Knitter, 50% silk, 50% Merino Wool in Fingering Weight.
Needles - Size US #6
I wore this shawl with my little black dress to my nephew's wedding in June. Wow, that makes me sound ancient doesn't it? I have a nephew that's married! However, I counter with my best defense, a nephew that is a mere 6 years old. Ha!
Seriously, I hope that this week gets better as it progresses. I have only 6 more working days (and two on-call nights) until a little break. I have decided that if you can't fight it (the whole control issue that alludes me these days), just turn up the Bangles and sing like a mad woman, or man if that be your gender......
Have a great week. Knit on!

Just a quick post, for I'm tired and recovering from bronchitis and sinusitis (in August, no less). Tomorrow I head back to work, with a pager attached to my hip, no less.

Pattern: Ripple Hat by Wendy Bernard
Yarn: Merino/Alpaca/Silk blend in worsted weight from The Plucky Knitter
Needles: US size 7
Finished in March, after only a couple of days of very intermittent knitting, but only photographed now. Have a great week!

Back in the Saddle Again

A flying trip to Boston Children's Hospital for a yearly visit left me with some knitting time in the car. I have not been able to summon the energy to knit with the house move, and the lack of knitting has taken its toll on my sanity. I have since decided that my sanity is important enough to regain, so knitting has commenced again this week.

Even though we still have moving to do, and boxes to unpack (that's really making light of everything), I'm taking the time to knit now. I think everyone in my family will agree that I'll be better spirited. And you know that saying......"When Mama's happy, then everyone's happy!" I find it to be pretty true.
Here's some photos of my latest WIP.

Pattern: Boneyard Shawl by Stephen West
Yarn: The Plucky Knitter MCN Fingering in "Stargazer"
Needles: US#6 Signature circular needles
Knitter: Extremely happy, to say the least. More relaxed to everyone's enjoyment.
Have a great weekend!

Moving

We are embarking on what we hope will be an exciting year for our family. We are moving to a new (to us) house, and packing up 12 years of memories (and junk, who am I kidding) in our old home, and moving a whole 1.1 miles to our new house. The new house is tucked away and more private than where we currently reside. Everything seems to be moving so quickly now, it's scary. I'm trying to cope with not only packing and cleaning, but keeping my family in some sense of order as we progress through softball games, days of laundry, work, and completing summer employment applications for my eldest daughter. Today, we celebrated the last day of school for the 2009-2010 school year. Next year, my eldest daughter will be a senior in high school. Where did the time go? We have an appointment with the photographer next week for senior portraits. Such an exciting time, and yet, kinda scary too!
During this time, I've been knitting simple projects. It's all I can do to knit some stockinette stitch at the end of the day. I've also taken a hard look at my yarn stashing habits with packing "stuff" for the move. I'm embarrassed to say that I've got yarn hoarding tendencies.....but you all knew that, didn't you? :)
We are all busy, tired, and yet happy. Many days I rely on grace to get us through this. Change.....it has a funny way of stretching us to our utmost limits, even if the change is for the better. Speaking of change.....I'm off to pack another box or two.

Maryland

Just back from Maryland Sheep and Wool this weekend. It was fun, but completely TOO warm. I had an excellent time with my mother, who was my companion for the weekend. We arrived home early this afternoon. I'll try to post later about the things I brought home with me.
Of course, I couldn't leave you without some picture in this post, could I?


Our Chase, as a young puppy. He's 5 months old now. He has an appointment with the groomer this weekend for his spring haircut. Thanks heavens!

Perspective

I've never been a huge lover of gifts of flowers. It's probably because I consider flowers to be a bit extravagant. Don't misunderstand me. I love it when someone gives me flowers. It's just that my brain processes things a bit differently. I tend to think......"Hmm.....instead of those flowers, we could have done..........x, y, or z."
Yesterday however, my daughter came running full tilt across our yard with a fistful of flowers from our neighbor's yard. These weren't just any flowers. They were a massive amount of dandelions. Now, most of us look at these flowers as pesty nuisances in our yards. We do our best to inhibit their growth. But yesterday, I wouldn't have traded them for anything in the world. They were stunning, as my daughter gave them to me with a giant smile on her face. "Look Mommy! I picked all of these for you!"
When I saw those flowers, I didn't once consider what we could have done without them. I happily placed them in water and proudly displayed them on my counter.
Sometimes, it's a matter of perspective. Why do I consider purchased flowers an extravagance, when my daughter clearly spent quite a bit of time picking these flowers with her own hands? That's more extravagant that the most expensive roses. I think from now on, I'll quiet my little brain when someone gives me flowers, and just enjoy the moment. I'm missing too much joy........are you?

Random Shots

Knitting has been slow these days, so how about some pictures of Christmas knits that I never posted....
Sounds good to me. And well, if you're here and you're reading, guess you'll play along with me.


An Ishbel shawl for my SIL, Kate. Yarn - Blue Water Times MCN Fingering by The Plucky Knitter



A Simple Yet Effective Shawl for my SIL, Jess (this is the fingering wt yarn version). Yarn - Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn


One of the cutest female hat models I've ever seen....my niece, Charity. Yarn - Yarn Pirate, DK in Zinnia. Those gorgeous eyes, a product of Jeremy and Kate Inc. (not to be confused with John and Kate, dear my).


And my brother, Greg (middle) with his sons (and my nephews), Bailey (left) and Brody (right). Yarn - A bunch of different colors of malabrigo, including Lime/Blue and Ravelry Red.


All knitwear made my yours truly. I've seen them wear these items after the obligatory day or two, so I know that they are well loved.

Up next, after I finish the never-ending Citron........another shawl. I seem to have lost my sock knitting mojo. If you see it, could you send it my way?

We Interrupt This Knitting Blog....

I haven't been able to blog (or knit) for the past week.
As you can see, we've been a little bit busy.

Sleep deprived and tired doesn't even come close to how I feel tonight. I've been vertical since 3:30am this morning, and it's starting to catch up with me. We took a really early flight home from Orlando to BWI this morning. We spent the past week at Disney, Discovery Cove (Awesome), and Sea World.
We met lots of new (and famous people)....at the Phillies game in Clearwater, FL.

We loved Discovery Cove, where we snorkeled with Sting Rays and tropical fish, ate ourselves silly, and generally had a fabulous time! We even wore wetsuits all day, although only some of us are posing for your viewing pleasure.

All in all, it was a very busy, but good trip. All I have to say is that I'm very happy that we are home safe and sound. I've been blessed with a great family and wonderful friends!

My Next Knitting Project

With the advent of DSL, I've been able to see all kinds of knitterly things. I've decided this should be my next project!
AMAZING!

Let me know what you think!

Green with Envy

My eldest nephew is getting married in June. I have a nice little black dress that needs a little something in the pizazz department. Queue Citron!

I've wondered how I was going to knit with this yarn, it being so vibrantly green and whatnot.

It's so green, it makes my teeth hurt. But hey, I figured everyone needs a little green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day tomorrow, right?


Pattern: Citron (small shawl - my newest knitting addiction). Free pattern on Ravelry!
Yarn: Wollmeise Sockenwolle - 80/20 Twin, colorway - Wasabi
Needles - US size #6
Start date - 3/13/10
Finish date - to be determined, but definitely before June 26th!

A True Olympic Finish

I finished my projects for the Olympics right on time, I just didn't get a chance to post them. Sometimes life gets in the way!
Here's my finished shawlette (small shawl). It's knit from The Plucky Knitter's 50% silk, 50% merino, in a worsted weight yarn. It's lovely! I love the drape of the knitted fabric.


And lastly, my Pretty Thing cowl. It's also knit in The Plucky Knitter's yarn. It's her 4-ply cashmere yarn in the colorway, Wild Violets. I basically knit this object in 2 days, and it was a stretch to get it done, but I love it! The yarn is so soft.

For those on Ravelry, you can view my project information there. I'm trying to be better about posting it to that site, if for no other reason than to keep a journal of sorts for myself.
I'm off to give the dog some much needed loving. He's sitting on my lap as I post this entry. He got his first hair cut this week. We can finally see his eyes! I hope that you're all having a good week! I'm SO looking forward to this weekend, when I'm SO not working!

Oh, and we've got DSL now, and wait for it................an iMac!

In True Olympic Fasion......

I'm sprinting to the finish line with my last project for Ravelympics. This last project gave me quite a fit. I ripped back to the starting line over six times. I stopped counting how many times I frogged the project after that. It isn't a difficult project for me, but I think my attention was zapped this week at work.

Until I get new photos of my Olympic projects, please enjoy another WIP of mine - Cotty socks. I love Carrie's pattern, and how it works with both colorful yarns and solid yarns! If you're a sock knitter, consider this pattern for a future project.

I'll see you at the finish line with my Ravelympic projects. GO TEAM USA! I hope that we win the medal count!

Falling....

Falling behind on knitting, cleaning, and life in general. I'm even falling behind on viewing the Olympics. For shame. I've got to get cracking. Today marks the first day of three days at home, no work. This comes after seven consecutive work days in a row, so I don't mind. But I do think I need to put a little spring into my step, and color into my gray days.

How about this sock to take away the winter doldrums?
Pop sock (please notice the lack of plural status). This is the first one. I have yet to knit the second one. After the Olympics, I say!

These crazy self-striping yarns make me smile all day long. And my navy uniform may have to make way for some crazy socks in the next couple of weeks. I think it may be necessary for my very survival during these long winter months!

Fighting.....

I'm fighting with Blogger. It takes forever to upload photos on my dial-up connection. I spend more time in front of the computer just waiting than ever before. BUT - there is light at the end of the tunnel. We now have DSL available in our area! It's coming to us very soon!
So, hopefully the photo will work this time. This is the picture that belonged in yesterday's post.
Enjoy!

What are you "fighting" this week?

Tired on Tuesday

Enjoy the photograpy courtesy of my hubby.......I'm too tired to compose anything about knitting today. But I will say this, apparently we need to send the ice and snow North to Canada, as they are experiencing technical difficulties on most of the venues.....

I'm beginning to realize how little I have to say, with posting every day, instead of every month! So..........how about I just let the pictures do the talking?

A Brooks Farm Yarn Scarf - Colorways from Brooks Farms are never marked with names, but they are gorgeous all the same.
The yarn is 50% Merino wool, 50% silk, worsted weight. This project was actually my first finished object (FO) of 2010. I just need to block it to increase its length.

One of the interesting things about this scarf is that it employs what I believe to be the "knit-one-below" stitch in the pattern. It makes quite a lovely change to the knitted fabric. This pattern is a repeat of two simple rows. But if you are a knitting thrower like I am (the technical term is English style), those two rows can go on indefinitely, until you feel that you want to pull your hair out.......and then the scarf's complete. And suddenly you think you might want to knit another one. Knitting is a disease, I tell you!

Now off to get supper started and actually knit something today! I'll soon run out of things to post if I don't keep knitting!
PS - Great Olympic moment for Canada in men's moguls yesterday!

A Retro Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day! May you take the time today to let those you love know how much they mean to you. Instead of chocolate today, I've given my girls the gift of reading. They each received a book for Valentine's Day. And we also gave them the gift of rest, since we've been battling colds for the past couple of days. We slept longer than usual today for some much needed repast. I am working the next eight days consecutively. Rest is essential.

Since I'm being lazy today, lounging in my PJ's for far too long, I'm just posting some work in progress shots of my Saroyan scarf/shawlette.
The yarn I'm using is 50/50 Merino wool/silk. The color is called Retro Mint (one of my loves this Valentine's Day). This yarn has beautiful stitch definition. The stitches simply pop, looking crisp and clean and even (which is what one means when they refer to stitch definition). The ever-so-slightly shaded yarn is perfect for this project.

For those who don't know what a "shawlette" is........allow me to enlighten you.
Shawlette - a small shawl that can be worn around the neck as a scarf or neck warmer. Not to be confused with the ever popular cowl, which is a tubular item worn around one's neck. Shawlettes can also be worn around the waist, but if you've seen my hips in person, you know that they need no further attention called to them by something else swaying near that area......

I realize that on the increase rows, this Retro Saroyan Scarf appears a bit thong-like (albeit a really pretty thong) in nature. Future pictures will show the straight sections, where no increasing is made, and thong-like thoughts disappear.

And in Olympic history, America cashes in for their first gold medal. Hannah Kearney of the US (a knitter as well, go read her bio), took the gold medal in women's moguls! Go team USA!

An Olympic Event

Last night millions of Americans and folks from all over the world watched as Canada put on an Olympic event that took our breath away. I always love the opening cermonies. Everyone is filled with hope and the spirit of good competition. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the sadness that touched the world last night as everyone remembered the lost life of Georgian luger, Nodar Kumaritashvili.

The Olympic games hold a special place in my memories. I can remember watching the Olympics as a child. I must confess that I'm an official Olympic junky. I will spend the next two weeks walking around in a stupor from lack of sleep.

This Olympic year, I thought I would be different. I'd join with the thousands, literally thousands, of knitters across the globe for THE, (wait for it) KNITTING OLYMPICS. I can see that many of you are laughing now. I know there must be a chuckle somewhere. It sounds crazy, I know. But in the spirit of the games, knitters cast on knitting projects in various categories, challenging themselves with different techniques, deadlines, finishing that long lost sweater from years ago..... You name it, and there's a category for it. I'll expound on these categories some more in upcoming posts. I promise to post, really I do. It's also kind of a goal of mine to post daily during the Olympics. Considering that I'll be working 8 days in a row next week, this might be an Olympic event all in its self.

In an attempt to make my Olympic addiction viewing time productive, I joined the thousands of knitting "athletes" last night. We all cast on for our projects during the opening ceremonies. For my first project, I'm using this yarn to complete a beautiful lace scarf/shawlette. It's The Plucky Knitter's Merino/Silk aran weight yarn in the color Retro Mint.

The yarn has even gotten into the spirit of the games, fashioning itself in the shape of a "P" for team Plucky. Yes, there are knitting teams, just as there are teams in the tradional Olympic games.

I'm also knitting a Cowl out of The Plucky Knitter's 4-ply Cashmere in the color, Wild Violets.

My goal is to knit these projects in the 17 day time frame that the Olympics are being broadcast. More laughter? I know it seems crazy. Then again, I never claimed to be anything close to normal!
PS - don't worry that I will bore you with slowly progressing project pictures. We'll chat about other things too!

New Addition And........A Hat

Knitting time will be precious indeed these next few weeks. Work is very busy, the kids have lots of activities, and we have a new addition to our family. Without further ado, please meet Chase Edward!

He arrived at our house tonight, sporting his new coat (he's almost too big for it already), and with only the tiniest of whimpers on the ride home (and no accidents if you know what I mean). He had a lot of loving all the way home though. My youngest daughter is camped out beside his crate tonight with her sleeping bag. It's the cutest sight. She picks him up and carries him everywhere.

And because this is a knitting blog, here's some knitting content.

Wood Hollow Hat - (Pattern by Kirsten Kapur)
Needles - US #7
Yarn - The Plucky Knitter Aran Cashmere, Colorway - Golightly
I love this colorway. It's named Golightly after Holly Golightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Great movie!
Here's hoping you're having a great weekend!

Holy Cowl!

I know it's not an original title for the blog post, but oh well. You can't expect much from me after working this weekend, and being on-call for the past 4 out of 5 nights. The on-call rotation is my least favorite part of the job.

But since this is a knitting blog........
Here's a cowl that I knit for my youngest daughter. She thinks it's a bit too big for her, so until she "grows into it," I think I'll use it!
Specs:
Pattern: Burnished Leaves Cowl by Chrissy Prange (Ravelry link).
Yarn: The Plucky Knitter in MCN (Merino, Cashmere, Nylon) in Sport Weight.
Needles: US #5, or 3.75mm
Mods - I cut back by one pattern repeat, and it's still a little large. I consider myself a tighter knitter (I blame it on the "angst" factor), and it's still pretty roomy, even with fewer pattern repeats. Keep this in mind if you knit it!


BTW, you wouldn't believe the trouble I have obtaining pictures of my knitting anymore. I have the worst camera in the family. I also don't have any photography assistant, so self portraits are prevalent. I know that I look absolutely terrible in this picture with the dark circles under my eyes (see first paragraph of this post about on-call status). But honestly, I can't complain, because in this day and age, I have a job, my family is warm, fed, and healthy. And I have enough money to occasionally buy my yarn. And The Plucky Knitter yarn is like my new crack.......so gorgeous and tempting! Stop by for one of her updates soon on Etsy!

A New Year

A new year usually prompts many to take stock in their lives in various ways. Often times, reflection occurs, either personal or task-oriented. Resolutions are made, goals are set, and there is overcrowding at the local gym (ask me how I know).
I have been subject to this annual quest for quite a few years now. But this year is different. I’m not setting myself up for failure. The perfectionist in me won’t allow lower or smaller goals, because what is the point? This year I’m giving myself permission. Permission is a different monster entirely. By its mere definition, one can see the difference between permission (formal consent; leave; license) and goal (an object or end that one strives to attain; aim, keep score). Permission, in my mind, is the acceptance of something that you would not normally allow. Goal-setting requires effort and work. Its very nature is active.
This year, permission is key. I’m giving myself the license to knit what I please. I will not be driven to knit an object out of obligation. I want to knit for the mere satisfaction that the process brings me. I want to knit while I watch TV. I want to gift my knitting, and enjoy the smile it brings to the recipient’s face. I want to knit for people who don't expect anything from me. I want to knit with the pretty one-of-a-kind yarn that I’ve been hoarding for so long. What good does allowing the cashmere to languish in my stash do for anyone, I say? I’m embracing the spirit of knitting this year.

And if that sounds like a goal to you, well, don’t say anything to my perfectionist self. It thinks that I’m only permitting it to be on hiatus this year.

And now, because this is supposed to be a knitting blog, please enjoy two of my favorite Christmas gifts, gifted to my SIL’s. An Ishbel

A little close shot of the lace........It's knit in the lovely Plucky MCN fingering in "Blue Water Times"

And a Simple Yet Effective Shawl in Noro sock yarn. I alternated the skeins to make the stripes. This ia a great travel project, and the pattern works well for sock yarns that pool or stripe.
Happy Knitting in the New Year!