The project proposal was mailed out yesterday. Hurrah! Actually, it was three separate but inter-related items, so we'll see what happens. I am just glad to have it off my plate, though hopefully only on a temporary basis. I would love if they were accepted.
That means it is back to the black sweater. My LSH commented that my previous picture of my sweater looked like I was knitting away on a pile of black paper, so I am not going to make another attempt to photograph it tonight. I am taking a "photographing your projects" class at Vogue Knitting Live next week so let's hope it makes a difference.
I have had plenty of time to knit because Terzo came down with the flu on Thursday night. Yes, he had the shot, but that has not been invicible this year. We started him on Tamiflu right away and it seems to have made a difference. No fever for the last 12 hours and I am hopeful that the worst is behind him. Meanwhile Primo, who has three indoor track meets this week (basically his entire season in one week), has maintained a strict quarantine from Terzo. I don't think he has even been on the same floor in the house all day today, let alone talked to the poor kid.
The time I have spent watching movies with Terzo has been perfect for me to puzzle out my final intentions for this sweater. Although long sleeves are a tempting modification for always-chilly me, the original sweater pattern has 3/4 length sleeves and I decided to stick with that in the interest of a dwindling yarn supply. I managed to source one more skein of yarn from a super-helpful person on Ravelry, and that generous soul even put it in the mail to me today in the hopes that I could get the sweater finished on time.
At this point, I have two more skeins in my possession. The other sleeve will take one of those skeins, and the lace cowl collar will use the last one. That just leaves the hem, which the extra skein of yarn should be more than enough to cover. Fingers crossed as I head into the home stretch. I figure it needs to be finished and blocked by Wednesday at the latest to be dry for my early-morning trip on Friday.
Movie Tip: If you have not yet seen "The Artist", the 2011 Best Picture winner, don't be put off by the black-and-white cinematography or the fact that it is a silent movie (though that does make it slightly harder to knit while watching). The gimmicks don't allow for many copy-cats, but it is a charming, ultimately uplifting tale that left me wondering why more movies can't be so simple and yet enjoyable for a broad audience.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
it's all what you're used to
Another day, much like yesterday, of feverish work on the top-secret project: two out of three swatches are done and cast off. I just need to weave in the ends. The last one is mostly done, but mid-afternoon my eyes refused to focus on the teeny-tiny needles and super-thin thread for one minute longer. I switched to slightly-thicker thread and needles for a break. Previously, I would have considered that quite fine work but my perspective has changed!
To give you an idea, the super-thin thread is on the bottom of the quarter, with the slightly-thicker thread in the middle (used on sample #3). The yarn for my black sweater (a worsted weight) is on the top.
And the needles I have been using, with a toothpick for perspective:
Size 4/0 (as in four zeros, or 0000—heading into the negatives!) needle on top is for the super-thin yarn. It was a relief to switch to the size 1 needles on the bottom for sample #3. They felt positively weighty in comparison, even though they are closer to the toothpick in dimension. I had previously considered them beyond small. If I switched to my size 15 knitting needles now my hands wouldn't know what to do with themselves.
My question is: how did those knitters 100+ years ago do it? Most of what they made was on needles similar in size, or even smaller, to the one on top. They are hard on your hands and even harder on your eyes. The mind boggles at the thought of knitting an entire pair of stockings on them—and this was when stockings went all the way up to your thighs!
Like anything else, it was probably just a matter of getting used to it. My eyes and hands will be grateful for a short break starting tomorrow, when I mail off the samples for approval.
To give you an idea, the super-thin thread is on the bottom of the quarter, with the slightly-thicker thread in the middle (used on sample #3). The yarn for my black sweater (a worsted weight) is on the top.
And the needles I have been using, with a toothpick for perspective:
Size 4/0 (as in four zeros, or 0000—heading into the negatives!) needle on top is for the super-thin yarn. It was a relief to switch to the size 1 needles on the bottom for sample #3. They felt positively weighty in comparison, even though they are closer to the toothpick in dimension. I had previously considered them beyond small. If I switched to my size 15 knitting needles now my hands wouldn't know what to do with themselves.
My question is: how did those knitters 100+ years ago do it? Most of what they made was on needles similar in size, or even smaller, to the one on top. They are hard on your hands and even harder on your eyes. The mind boggles at the thought of knitting an entire pair of stockings on them—and this was when stockings went all the way up to your thighs!
Like anything else, it was probably just a matter of getting used to it. My eyes and hands will be grateful for a short break starting tomorrow, when I mail off the samples for approval.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
knit-o-matic
I have been working away on the secret project today, which involves tiny needles (smaller in diameter than toothpicks), tiny thread and tiny beads... and my last act of the day was to rip out all the progress I had made, because it wasn't coming out correctly. The deadline is looming. I really need to make serious headway tomorrow or my goose is cooked.
Time for some stockinette knitting to take the edge off. I started a sweater about a week ago, hopefully to wear to Vogue Knitting Live in NYC next week. (Because I don't have enough pressing deadlines.) I am going with my mom ten days from today, and I'm super excited... Time with my mother, a night at a NY hotel, two days of knitting lectures and classes and conferences, what bliss!
The sweater is black. Perfect for my attempt at NYC style, perfect match to my two "new" thrift store skirts. I bought this yarn over three years ago, for a completely different project for which it was utterly unsuited. I found this pattern two years ago and was sure I had enough yarn, to make the sleeves full-length even. Until I reached what I thought was the halfway point, and realized that I had one skein less than I thought I did.
Gulp.
Now I am racing against time and stash. Do I have enough yarn to make it? Or I am doomed? Of course it would make more sense, time-investment wise, to cut my losses and rip the darn thing out in favor of a pattern that I am sure will work, but what's the fun in that? I am living life on the edge here!
While knitting away tonight, Terzo and I watched our favorite Wallace & Gromit episode on Netflix, titled "A Close Shave." Very fitting.
If you have never seen Wallace & Gromit, look it up. Charming claymation, with clever British jokes (headline in paper: "Killer Sheep on Loose: Lord Baskerville Not Connected") and a knitting dog. This particular episode involved a wool shortage and thus yarn rationing (sign on shop wall: "2 balls per person"), with a great sheep washing scene and the "Knit-o-Matic" device, which sheared the sheep and produced a sweater in record time.
That's what I need! A Knit-o-Matic, so I know sooner rather than later just how much yarn I am short. Unfortunately, the Knit-o-Matic was not particularly good at producing a sweater that fit. I have to hope that it's not prophetic.
Time for some stockinette knitting to take the edge off. I started a sweater about a week ago, hopefully to wear to Vogue Knitting Live in NYC next week. (Because I don't have enough pressing deadlines.) I am going with my mom ten days from today, and I'm super excited... Time with my mother, a night at a NY hotel, two days of knitting lectures and classes and conferences, what bliss!
The sweater is black. Perfect for my attempt at NYC style, perfect match to my two "new" thrift store skirts. I bought this yarn over three years ago, for a completely different project for which it was utterly unsuited. I found this pattern two years ago and was sure I had enough yarn, to make the sleeves full-length even. Until I reached what I thought was the halfway point, and realized that I had one skein less than I thought I did.
Gulp.
Now I am racing against time and stash. Do I have enough yarn to make it? Or I am doomed? Of course it would make more sense, time-investment wise, to cut my losses and rip the darn thing out in favor of a pattern that I am sure will work, but what's the fun in that? I am living life on the edge here!
While knitting away tonight, Terzo and I watched our favorite Wallace & Gromit episode on Netflix, titled "A Close Shave." Very fitting.
If you have never seen Wallace & Gromit, look it up. Charming claymation, with clever British jokes (headline in paper: "Killer Sheep on Loose: Lord Baskerville Not Connected") and a knitting dog. This particular episode involved a wool shortage and thus yarn rationing (sign on shop wall: "2 balls per person"), with a great sheep washing scene and the "Knit-o-Matic" device, which sheared the sheep and produced a sweater in record time.
That's what I need! A Knit-o-Matic, so I know sooner rather than later just how much yarn I am short. Unfortunately, the Knit-o-Matic was not particularly good at producing a sweater that fit. I have to hope that it's not prophetic.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
eggs-cellent eggs
I just cannot resist an egg-y pun.
Today was the first Sunday of the month, which meant that today was our monthly 4-H meeting. I was really scrambling (ha!!) for an activity, because well, there was this CHRISTMAS thing between now and the last meeting, and organizationally, I seem to be stuck somewhere in late September.
The idea of focusing on eggs gelled sometime late yesterday, and as the majority of our members own chickens, it seemed to be a workable one. I had such fun putting it together, and they had such fun answering the questions, that I thought I would share the True/False quiz I came up with. Try answering before you check the answers at the bottom of the page!
Today was the first Sunday of the month, which meant that today was our monthly 4-H meeting. I was really scrambling (ha!!) for an activity, because well, there was this CHRISTMAS thing between now and the last meeting, and organizationally, I seem to be stuck somewhere in late September.
The idea of focusing on eggs gelled sometime late yesterday, and as the majority of our members own chickens, it seemed to be a workable one. I had such fun putting it together, and they had such fun answering the questions, that I thought I would share the True/False quiz I came up with. Try answering before you check the answers at the bottom of the page!
1. A hen requires 48 hours to produce
an egg.
2. Thirty minutes after laying an egg,
a hen starts the process over again.
3. Most eggs are laid between 7 pm and 11 pm .
4. An eggshell has up to 17,000 tiny
pores on its surface, through which odors and flavors can be absorbed.
5. Eggs age more during 1 day at room
temperature than 1 week in the refrigerator.
6. Brown eggs can be produced by any
hen, based upon the feed content.
7. Brown eggs cost more than white eggs
because they are more expensive to produce.
8. Seeing if an egg floats in water will tell you if it is raw or hard cooked.
9. If you drop an egg on the floor,
sprinkling it heavily with salt will make clean-up easier.
10. Egg yolks are one of the few foods
that naturally contain Vitamin D.
11. Yolk color depends on the hen’s breed.
12. A young hen is called a pullet.
13. The egg shell counts for about 50% of
an egg’s total weight.
14. Shell strength is influenced by the
hen’s diet, especially in calcium.
15. Shell strength is related to the hen’s
age.
16. The protein in 1 egg is equivalent to
the protein in 1 ounce of lean meat or fish.
17. Double-yolked eggs are usually produced by
older hens.
18. It is impossible for a hen to lay an
egg with no yolk.
19. The bacteria salmonella can only be on the outside of an egg.
20. Legend has it that a chef’s white hat
(called a toque) has a pleat for each way that an egg can be cooked, because
eggs are so versatile.
Eggs are egg-mazing! (OK, I stretched it with that last one. But hopefully you learned something new, and not about my bottomless capacity for bad puns.)
1. F (24-26 hours); 2. T; 3. F (a.m.); 4. T; 5. T; 6. F (the color of an hen's ear lobes indicates the color of her eggs); 7. T (because brown egg laying breeds are usually larger, requiring more feed); 8. F (putting an egg in water demonstrates the freshness as a floating egg is a rotten one; spinning an egg on the counter tells you whether it is hard-boiled (spins freely) or raw (wobbles then stops)); 9. T (only if you don't have a dog, of course); 10. T; 11. F (yolk color depends on the diet of the hen); 12. T; 13. F (9-12%); 14. T; 15. T (as the hen ages, egg size increases but shell material does not, so the same amount of shell material must cover a larger surface, producing a thinner-shelled egg); 16. T; 17. F (double-yolked eggs are usually produced by younger hens, who have not fully synchronized their egg production cycle); 18. F (it's rare, but not impossible); 19. F (salmonella can be on the inside or outside of an egg that looks normal); 20. T.
Friday, January 4, 2013
love the library
Today was a wonderful break from the hustle-bustle of the season, with time in a quiet house to concentrate, finally, on an upcoming deadline. I can't say anything about the project, except I am hugely excited to be a part of it—if my work is accepted, that is, so please keep all fingers crossed.
I have had the necessary materials for some time and just needed a block of time to puzzle out how to start. Starting, of course, is always the most difficult part. Once five stitches are on the needle, or ten words are on the screen, or three moldy things are tossed from the fridge to the trashcan, it's all downhill from there.
I emerged into the sunlight (because my little workroom, while lovely and totally mine, has no windows) to find a message from our local library: my book had finally arrived. I had ordered this book over a month ago, and then promptly forgot about it. When I picked it up, the long wait was explained:
This book travelled all the way from California, just for my whim. Well, more than a whim, I needed it for research, which begs the reminder: libraries are amazing institutions. Among other powers, they can summon books from across the continent for you! Books are irreplaceable, I don't care how much you love the kindle or nook or whatever. You don't have to be a librarian to appreciate this fact, though you can get lots of love from your favorite librarian by supporting your local library.
TV Tip: I watched North & South while I worked, to take my mind off my impatient wait for the third season of Downton Abbey to start this coming Sunday night. If you are a fan of period drama, and you have not seen this BBC production from 2004, stop everything and find a copy right away. (Hint: it is in Netflix instant queue; of course, ask your local library if you don't have Netflix.) This is the third, or maybe even fourth, time that I have watched it, and it did not disappoint. Trust me, this one is worth every minute. "I have seen hell, and it is white, snow-white."
I have had the necessary materials for some time and just needed a block of time to puzzle out how to start. Starting, of course, is always the most difficult part. Once five stitches are on the needle, or ten words are on the screen, or three moldy things are tossed from the fridge to the trashcan, it's all downhill from there.
I emerged into the sunlight (because my little workroom, while lovely and totally mine, has no windows) to find a message from our local library: my book had finally arrived. I had ordered this book over a month ago, and then promptly forgot about it. When I picked it up, the long wait was explained:
This book travelled all the way from California, just for my whim. Well, more than a whim, I needed it for research, which begs the reminder: libraries are amazing institutions. Among other powers, they can summon books from across the continent for you! Books are irreplaceable, I don't care how much you love the kindle or nook or whatever. You don't have to be a librarian to appreciate this fact, though you can get lots of love from your favorite librarian by supporting your local library.
TV Tip: I watched North & South while I worked, to take my mind off my impatient wait for the third season of Downton Abbey to start this coming Sunday night. If you are a fan of period drama, and you have not seen this BBC production from 2004, stop everything and find a copy right away. (Hint: it is in Netflix instant queue; of course, ask your local library if you don't have Netflix.) This is the third, or maybe even fourth, time that I have watched it, and it did not disappoint. Trust me, this one is worth every minute. "I have seen hell, and it is white, snow-white."
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
my first fo of the year
(FO = finished object in knitter-speak)
And I am proud to say it is not a scarf! It is a pair of fingerless mitts. That mitt pattern that I learned in the Estonian stitch knitting class back in September was still nagging at me.
I loved the colors of the sample I knit during the class, but I had used smaller needles to suit the yarn I brought and it ended up painfully tight. I didn't have enough yarn in those colors to reknit it larger, plus I wanted to see what would happen if I used a graduated yarn for one of the yarns instead.
I cast on Christmas Day morning, when amazingly enough I was the only one up for a good amount of time before the boys roused themselves. Yet another sign of things to come...
I have gotten to a point with my knitting skills that if something doesn't work for me, I can usually come up with a way to alter it to make it more to my liking. What an awesome force! I ended up re-working the number of stitches and the way the thumb-hole was constructed to produce a pair of mitts that worked quite well for my hands. It was a bit of ripping out and redoing until I got exactly what I wanted, but I got there eventually! I wove in the ends last night and wore them all day today. I felt super-smart every time I looked down at them, especially the way the colors matched up almost exactly.
While I am on the subject of Estonian knitting: if you ever have the chance to take a class with Merike Saarnit, who taught that class and designed the mitt pattern, don't miss it! She will have you thinking about knitting stitches in a whole new way. She is teaching classes at Vogue Knitting Live in NYC later this month. Hopefully I will see her to show off my new mitts in person.
And I am proud to say it is not a scarf! It is a pair of fingerless mitts. That mitt pattern that I learned in the Estonian stitch knitting class back in September was still nagging at me.
I loved the colors of the sample I knit during the class, but I had used smaller needles to suit the yarn I brought and it ended up painfully tight. I didn't have enough yarn in those colors to reknit it larger, plus I wanted to see what would happen if I used a graduated yarn for one of the yarns instead.
I cast on Christmas Day morning, when amazingly enough I was the only one up for a good amount of time before the boys roused themselves. Yet another sign of things to come...
I have gotten to a point with my knitting skills that if something doesn't work for me, I can usually come up with a way to alter it to make it more to my liking. What an awesome force! I ended up re-working the number of stitches and the way the thumb-hole was constructed to produce a pair of mitts that worked quite well for my hands. It was a bit of ripping out and redoing until I got exactly what I wanted, but I got there eventually! I wove in the ends last night and wore them all day today. I felt super-smart every time I looked down at them, especially the way the colors matched up almost exactly.
While I am on the subject of Estonian knitting: if you ever have the chance to take a class with Merike Saarnit, who taught that class and designed the mitt pattern, don't miss it! She will have you thinking about knitting stitches in a whole new way. She is teaching classes at Vogue Knitting Live in NYC later this month. Hopefully I will see her to show off my new mitts in person.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
it's tradition
Tradition to review my goals from last year this time, and set new ones for this year...
So for the review portion:
1. Knit four sweaters. Halfway. I finished two, and one was an (unblogged) vest. I did finish five shawls (three of which were prayer shawls, so quite meaningful and mindful projects) and seventy-million scarves, so there was knitting. Just not necessarily what I planned.
2. Continue with the stashdown. Well, sort of. I finished this year in the red, knitting 1,000 less yards than I purchased. More sweater knitting would have helped, but I am not beating myself up. I did a lot of knitting for others and it was very satisfying. There will be other years for the stash (hopefully this one, because the totes are getting full).
3. Blog more regularly. Unqualified success on this one: a record number of posts for the year. I fell into a rhythm of every other day, for the most part. I enjoyed letting everyday life be my guide, and not worrying too much about fitting posts into a specific slot.
4. Improve the farm business. I will give this one a "pretty good." I never did manage to get my etsy shop up and running, but I did a few more shows and the numbers were testament to greater commitment.
5. Eat more healthily. Flat-out fail. Every time I reached for the unhealthy snack, I thought about this goal and how I was going to have to 'fess up at the end of the year. It didn't stop me.
Now for the new year: like the direction of the blog in the past months, I think I will strike out into slightly different territory. I already sense that 2013 will be an unsettling year of reflection and preparation for big changes in 2014, when Primo graduates high school. I have no idea where it will take us as a family and me individually, but my goal is to develop the wisdom and courage necessary to handling these changes with grace and aplomb.
So for the review portion:
1. Knit four sweaters. Halfway. I finished two, and one was an (unblogged) vest. I did finish five shawls (three of which were prayer shawls, so quite meaningful and mindful projects) and seventy-million scarves, so there was knitting. Just not necessarily what I planned.
2. Continue with the stashdown. Well, sort of. I finished this year in the red, knitting 1,000 less yards than I purchased. More sweater knitting would have helped, but I am not beating myself up. I did a lot of knitting for others and it was very satisfying. There will be other years for the stash (hopefully this one, because the totes are getting full).
3. Blog more regularly. Unqualified success on this one: a record number of posts for the year. I fell into a rhythm of every other day, for the most part. I enjoyed letting everyday life be my guide, and not worrying too much about fitting posts into a specific slot.
4. Improve the farm business. I will give this one a "pretty good." I never did manage to get my etsy shop up and running, but I did a few more shows and the numbers were testament to greater commitment.
5. Eat more healthily. Flat-out fail. Every time I reached for the unhealthy snack, I thought about this goal and how I was going to have to 'fess up at the end of the year. It didn't stop me.
Now for the new year: like the direction of the blog in the past months, I think I will strike out into slightly different territory. I already sense that 2013 will be an unsettling year of reflection and preparation for big changes in 2014, when Primo graduates high school. I have no idea where it will take us as a family and me individually, but my goal is to develop the wisdom and courage necessary to handling these changes with grace and aplomb.
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