Suddenly, it's Summer

Today is was over 80 in Wisconsin and Chicago. We were on a road trip, ending up on Saturday at a Wisconsin supper club. This was my first experience at one. Apparently this was the only restaurant in town, because we waited over two hours for a table. At the bar. I'm a two drink maximum girl, or else it's like some one's poisoned me the next day. I was nursing that second gin and tonic so it would last forever. If I haven't mentioned it before, I am super intolerant of second hand smoke. Not many people in the bar were smoking, but you think they could open a window in the place. I left for a few minutes to arrange the hotel room, and when I came back to the bar, it was like having to walk through a wall of smoke. It stuck to my hair, all my clothes, even down to underwear. It was hard to sleep last night with that smell on me. The Man (an ex-smoker of many years) said he didn't notice anything. Piccolo waited in the vehicle for us, and I think she got even with me for waiting so long by peeing on the sheet in the hotel room. Naughty Piccolo! Since I do all the driving on these trips, knitting is limited until we're settled in the hotel room, and the Man is asleep. I'm loving this new car, a 1996 Chrysler Town and Country. It's a super comfortable ride. A little longer in the front end than I'm used to, which makes parallel parking on a city street challenging. I'm sure that there will be many more trips this summer.

I'm usually in a quandry regarding things to knit in summer. While I like wearing cotton, knitting it, not so much. Blend it with something, and I'm happier. My preference always is to knit with an animal based yarn. Of course, being a sucker for marketing, I was obsessed about Debbie Bliss' new yarn, Rialto. A wool that's light enough for summer, she says. It's dk weight merino. So, does that mean that Karabella Aurora 4 can be considered a summer yarn? Anyhow, I had the pattern book for Rialto, which is a winner in my opinion, and had to get the yarn. Fortunately, we got back in town for me to make it to Knitting Workshop before it closed. So, I sneaked two balls into the house, concealed in a tote bag, and the other 10 are in my car, waiting to be sneaked in tomorrow. No need to explain this to the Man. I'm deciding between two designs in the book to knit. At the shop, I ran into Mary, and had fun gossiping and talking about Bohus knitting. She's knit two sweaters, and has more planned.

Driving along Lincoln Ave., to and from the shop, it seemed that the city had come alive with people out enjoying themselves. The Man mentioned that he wants us to go out tonight and hit tennis balls. I made dinner on the grill tonight, for the end of our first summer weekend.

For M

A finished vest, in green. This is the Ribby Shell by Bonne Marie. I love this classic design, and it's not the first time I've knit it. This time I've used Cervina Super Tajmahal, a merino, silk, and cashmere blend. This color will look magnificent on my sister. I'm putting it in the post today. She's waited a long time for this.

More April Project Spectrum

A lovely example of Bohus knitting, from the collection of Susanna Hanson. I love how the colors combined with the texture of the yarn and stitches undulates and glows. Bohus knitting is different from Fair Isle or Norwegian knitting in a few different ways. Some pieces are knit flat, so color work is also done on the wrong side row. Often more than two colors are worked in a single row. There are purl stitches on the right side, which adds texture and moves the color in a different direction. I love how that bright pink towards the lower edge of the yoke looks like rick rack. The effect is dramatic. I'm hoping to get a kit in the near future, but knit on size 00 needles for me, this will be a project that will span many years to reach completion.

The last time I looked on the Knitter's website, Susanna had space in her Bohus workshop at Stitches Midwest this August.

The Odds

I suppose it had to happen eventually. The weekend trip gone wrong. We went in a different vehicle, a 1996 Chrysler Town and Country. Me driving, and the Man riding shotgun as usual. We had driven up to Oshkosh, and had just exited the highway traveling West to a small town, Mount Morris, when we both heard the thump. Then the ding ding ding of an alarm, then I had no steering. We turned around, and found a gas station/mini mart. The steering belt of the car had snapped, and the water pump for the engine broken. What are the chances of it getting repaired on a Saturday afternoon? After spending time at the Fleet Farm, where they said they couldn't do the repair, we left the car overnight at a tire shop. We took a cab back and forth to the hotel, a LaQuinta, which will let you have your pet in a non-smoking room (!) At noon today, we were motoring out of town. We were both pretty much undaunted by the experience, and Piccolo traveled like a little angel. I'm trying to convince the Man that we need to live somewhere where we could accommodate a king size bed. The three of us are stuffed into a full at Lucky Penny headquarters, and it was a vacation, let me tell you, to have all of us sprawled out on that king.

Here's a knit gone wrong. Beautiful pattern, Bonne Marie's Cece, and lovely yarn, Berroco Ultra Alpaca. Together, not so good. I think the lace gets lost with this yarn. So, I've caught it early, before it became a sweater that would never be worn.

Project Spectrum--April

This is a little peek into my knitted archives. Gidget Alice, spring 2001, wearing a sweater knit with Annabel Fox Aran body, Classic Elite tweed collar, and Lamb's Pride tips. I believe I donated the sweater to a blind rescued Pekingese not long after. I think the shadow in the photo is me on the laying on the sidewalk to shoot at this angle. Gidget is the primary model on the Lucky Penny website. Penny's at the masthead, and that's about the only picture I ever got her to cooperate for. Gidget was an excellent photo subject. I just love that tiny, delicate little face.
The Man, Piccolo, and I are headed to the North, exact destination unknown for the weekend. Some knitting may be done. I mostly will be driving. We're going in a minivan this time, and the Man says he will lounge in the back while I do all the work. Sounds like home to me.

Advanced vs. Expert

One of the questions on the class evaluation today was my level of knitting expertise. Advanced, I would say. Not expert. Before this weekend, I was contemplating giving up my spot in Sunday's class. Too much. Time away from my dog, time in a room with 20+ other people, time away from projects that need to be finished! I'm glad I didn't give it up. Finishing for the Finicky. Wow. I'll never look at selvedges (which I love, by the way) again. I need to re-do some things on my sister's vest right away, to get the shoulders and neck just right. If you ever get a chance to take a class with Susanna Hanson, don't hesitate. I'm not sure she's in the Midwest often, but I would consider a trip to the Madrona festival next year to take more from her. One of the things I really need to take a critical eye to is some projects in progress that have problems. Susanna suggested that projects like that need to be let go. It occurs to be more often that the sweaters I make for Piccolo turn out better than anything I make for myself. Maybe this was part of the reason I embraced vests over the last year. Less chance for something to go wrong. Except I just assembled one that has some real issues, and can't be worn in its current state. I keep looking for patterns for that perfect combination of color, texture, fit and finish. I rarely hit that winning combination. This weekend also made me contemplate what I want to commit my time to. One thing for sure--I want to work on a new collection for a second book. I've got a lot of ideas percolating. Since I'm so much better at that type of knitting, I should focus on that more. I do want two ambitious sweaters, like a Zimmerman saddle shoulder seamless Aran, and a Bohus. Socks are exempt from this scrutiny, but my tendency is to knit something in a heavier yarn for more instant gratification. I'm doing a craft show in a few weeks, and I should try to sell off some stash yarns there to put towards funding the Bohus. Fingering weight sock yarn, for sure will be let go.

Tear Sheets

This is something I still do, left over from my days as a photo stylist. I find an image that inspires me in a magazine, and I tear out the page. The September 2006 issue of Elle magazine was in a lounge at one of my work sites, and the knitwear pictured captured me. I especially love the Pringle of Scotland cardigan in the lower left. I want to make it! But, I can't quite wrap my head around how to do a horizontal cable panel with that shaping to make a yoke. There has to be a pattern out there that has something like that. I need help!

This weekend's activity is a workshop with Susanna Hanson. Bohus Stickning tomorrow. I knit on size 0 or smaller needles. Could I endure a sweater knit with a gauge that fine? Should be interesting!

The Y Chromosome

I'm a woman. W-O-M-A-N. I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in the pan, and never let you forget you're a man.

I can multitask. I can work, knit sweaters and socks, edit a book, shop for dinner, fix dinner, take out garbage, take out the dog, feed the dog, do the laundry. Repeat tomorrow. You get the picture.

The Man can work. The Man can come home. "What are you fixing for dinner?"

Me: "Did you take the dog out?"

Man: "It's too cold."

Me: "Then dinner will be delayed since I have to take her out now."

Man (after dinner): "How about those chocolate chip cookies?"

I'm irritated. There' s clearly a disparity in household responsibilities here. He wants credit for taking out boxes of his stuff from behind the sofa, when he has now filled up additional boxes and put them--behind the sofa! Even after the explanation why I'm not baking cookies until boxes are removed, he's back on the sofa. He's too stressed out from work and the cold, he says.

It's a cookie stand off at the Lucky Penny headquarters.

Blue, Times Two

I am not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination. I may be awake with the help of 976-WAKE, multiple alarm clocks, and caffeine, but not fully functional. Here is proof. Last December, my sister took me to the pre-inventory sale at A Knitted Peace in Littleton, Colorado. I had scoped out the selections the day before, and had some Berroco Ultra Alpaca in mind for an Ariann. We got to the sale about 7:15 AM, and my desired color was gone so it was on to plan B. We got yarn for a vest for M (which is about 80% complete), and I purchased some Arucania Nature Wool Chunky for me. This is the Central Park hoodie from Fall 2006 Knitscene. I found out a few days ago that I had purchased two different colors. They looked the same to me that early in the morning. So, I'm knitting with both. Alternating every two rows. I have a little more of one, so I'll be doing the bands in that color. It looks not bad so far. You can see the two different balls in this shot. I'm thinking I want to do a little pocket treatment on the front, so I have a real functional walking Piccolo on the street type sweater.

Abundance

The Rosebud vest, revisited. In Briar Rose Fibers Abundance, 100% Corriedale. The original pattern was written for another yarn, used double. I wasn't sure I would have enough to finish, so I used a single strand at a gauge of 4 sts/inch. Now, I have quite a bit left over. Which will likely become a sweater for Piccolo. I just have to look through the stash to pull some colors that will work along with it. I've been kind of obsessed with this color red lately. I have socks in progress, and a scarf in similar colors.

The deadline for early bird registration for Stitches Midwest is past, and I'm not registered for anything. Nothing really appealed, and the classes I felt marginal about were full when I checked last night. So, it looks like this year I'll be at the Market only. I had considered Knitting Camp this year, but I think I've ruled that out as well. It might be too much in a room with some personality I've been trying to avoid. This year we've got to get it together to get to the Michigan Fiber Festival earlier. We always forget about the change in time zone.

Domestic Goddess

I am loving that slow cooker. Tonight I made a beef brisket that was fan-freakin-tastic. 1.5 pound brisket, 1 chopped onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon oregano, a handful of baby carrots, two stalks celery. Throw the meat on top, and cover with beef broth. Cook for many hours. I added some canned tomatoes half way through. I thickened the broth on the stove with some cornstarch. Yum. I was home today after working the job for seven days straight, and saw a great looking slow cooker soup recipe on the Food Network today. We're going to try it soon.

I was working on step outs for the book today, and most of them are photographed. I've got to get that out this week.

The photo is a vest back, knit in Briar Rose Fibers Abundance. I've got it finished, and I'll post that soon.