She Loves to Knit

Look, She Eez Kneeting Gloovez

Yez, I took ze two cheeldren to zee Zee Peenk Panzer zees afternoon.  So funny!  We all looved eet.

And, yez, I am kneeting my firzt pair of gloovez!  (Okay, enough of the fake French accent.  I am much better at it vocally than in type.)  Why?  Well, because this happened to my lovely, 100% cashmere, made in Italy, TJMaxx gloves.  First,

which I tried (poorly) to fix.  And then this

which I haven't bothered to fix.  The yarns have just seemed to evaporate away.  Nothing but dust left on parts of the thumbs, and now the virus has moved up to other parts.  Pooh.

Did you ever try to buy a nice pair of gloves at the end of February?  Not even in Buffalo.  All that's left in the stores is crap.  So, what's a knitter to do?  Make herself a pair of gloves!

After a good hour, at least, the other day spent perusing all of my knitting books and doing lots of googling, I was delighted to discover nonaKnits:  Project - Gloves.  I considered these, but here, as long as you're over 35 years old (my kids don't give a damn if their fingers are cold) you want gloves.  A pair in the pockets of every coat and jacket you might grab before racing out the door.  And you want them to have FINGERS!

So,  I hunted up this cutie-pie ball of Koigu, which nicely matches the hat I recently made for myself (and yes, I DID finish the embroidery, see?)

CRAP.  You know this is the THIRD time I've lost this post and had to re-write... GRRRR.  What was I saying?  Something about how I now have six I-cord fingers done.  Here are the pics.

Yeah, I'm a little bummed I missed nona's Peaceful Palms Knit Along, but it is still a cool pattern and if I can crank out the rest of these gloves before my store-bought black ones totally disintegrate, and if it doesn't get too freakin' cold over the weekend (which, unfortunately, even though today was in the 40's, it is predicted to do) I'll be in fine shape.  That is, if I ever succesfully finish the post and log off the computer and go back to my knitting!

Oy, she's so creative...

Remember a few weeks ago the TKDGRRRLS (my girlfriends from TKD) had an afternoon outing at a local bead store?  Well, more than one of the women there that day made necklaces using glass clasps made by a friend of the young lady who was working our party.  I loved the idea, but wasn't crazy about the clasps left after our group had selected their favorites.  So, a week or so afterwards, I went back and picked out one from the new crop of findings.  I've had all of the beads set out on my computer desk waiting for me to string them and put it all together, but I didn't get "the bug" until Saturday afternoon.  It came out prettier than it looks in the picture -- but it didn't go at all with the outfit I wore Saturday night.

As for Saturday night... my husband's new boss and his wife hosted a dinner for about 7 couples in a private dining room at their country club.  All the top execs and their spice.  So, what to wear?  What to wear?  (Is there any other question in a woman's mind when it comes to important functions such as this?)  Thank God for Talbots.  Even more for their big end-of-February price markdowns!  As Rick said when told of my big bargains, "They practically paid you to take the clothes out of their store!"  Yeah.  So, what did I wear?  Well, this sweater, in the dusky blue.

With a pair of black slacks and a camel blazer with a pinstripe in charcoal (works with the blue of the sweater AND the black of the pants!)  Black pumps.  Tiny pewter evening bag.  A strand of pearls (my college graduation gift from my parents, is that not sweet?) at the neck.  Simple earrings.  I was just a tiny bit concerned I wouldn't be FANCY enough, since the men were advised to wear coat and tie, but the second I got there and saw the boss's wife, I knew I was A-OK.  SHE was in black slacks, pumps, a tank and a jacket.  PERFECT.  *whew!*

And yes, the evening went very well.  I didn't spill anything on myself or burp out loud, the dinner was delicious, and I don't think I said anything that would reflect poorly on myself or my loving husband.

In knitting news, I did decide to turn the corner on this big shawl-like creature I am creating.  It doesn't look as tall as I want it to be, but it looks v-e-r-y wide.  See how skinny those "arms" are?  Oh sorry, you can't see.  I folded them in 'cause they were so l-o-n-g!  (Oops, a little peek of my big toe in that one.)

Ah... VACATION!

Not a "let's get on a plane and go somewhere wonderful" vacation, but at least it is a week with no school, no Hebrew School, no Hebrew High, no homework, no studying for tests, no early morning alarms, and definitely, no 5:30 AM phone calls asking if I am avaiable to sub that day!  Starting today, its all about sleeping in (which in my case means about 7:00, but that beats 5:30AM!) and doing whatever the heck I feel like for a week.  Which, of course, will include Tae Kwon Do every day of the week (except Sunday, when they are unfortunately closed) and then catching up on lots of to-do's, like hunting for invitations for the Royal Bat Mitzvah, and finally making it with J-Daughter to the music store so she can trade in her too-small rental violin for one that actually fits with her now-taller-than-me height and arm length or whatever matters to violin players, and taking Zack to Dick's Sporting Goods for new mini-sticks, and maybe even hitting a framing store with all of the various artworks and photos that are hung around the house with broken glass or messed up mats or whatever.

Surround that with a billion hours more of Olympics coverage, tax forms to fill out, checkbooks to balance, and unfinished knitting projects a plenty, and there you have it!  A week off.

Here's where we are so far on that triangular shawly thing...

I was planning on using all three skeins of the Noro Silver Thaw,  but now I'm wondering... I am part of the way through the second ball and unsure of whether I should go all the way to half-way through the second.  (The pattern is basically use one half of your yarn to do the increase section, then use the rest of the yarn for the decrease section.)  How freakin' big is this thing going to turn out?  And, do I want it that big?  My sister-in-law takes her into the office and uses them instead of cardigans when it gets cold in there.  She likes them big.  Do I want mine that big?  Maybe I do.  How would this be if I used it like an afghan on the bed?

My Olympic Update

Nothing like opening your eyes at 5:55 AM and not being able to focus.  Like everything is just swimming... not blurry like you haven't put your glasses on yet, no I mean, like you can't make your eyes hold still.  That was how I began the day yesterday.  That was followed up by a little bit of vomiting, and much sleeping.  Until about 2 PM, when I woke up and felt not only dizzy, but faint and weak, too.  I spent the next hour or so daintily eating lite rye crackers in bed.  Jake, of course, had to have some, too, but he didn't eat his quite so daintily.

(Pic is from the other day of him snuggling with his stuffed possum toy.  I was feeling too pukey yesterday to even stand up to get the camera off the dresser and take a picture of him eating rye krisps on my bed.  But he is on my bed here and I think that is my foot in the picture.  J-Daughter took the shot.)

Thank God for the Olympics, and for the fact that in Buffalo, NY you can watch Canadian t.v.!  While I dozed throughout the day, I kept the t.v. on for company, and listened to their real-time broadcasts of the women's half-pipe, the pairs figure skating long program, and even a curling match or two.  I have only the vaguest idea how this game works, but it is fun to hear them screaming at one another -- especially in Finnish!

By the way, what is the difference between PAIRS figure skating and ICE DANCING?  Anyone know?  [Okay, I just answered my own question... go here for a good explanation.]

I was too dizzy to knit until last night, when we all watched NBC's coverage of everything I'd already watched, or at least listened to, during the daytime.  I may be the ONLY knitter on the internet who isn't officially participating in the big Knitting Olympics, but that doesn't mean I packed up my needles or anything.  This is a pattern my sister-in-law Terry has made many times.  She assured me it would work with just about any yarn, so I'm using that cool new Noro Silver Thaw I bought in Pittsburgh.  I hope she's right.

I feel better today.  Not all better, but I'm clean and dressed and not afraid to drive the car later today.

Don't you love having friends?

Like my friend Kari, who is a wonderful crafter, a proud Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, a mom of three BUSY teenagers, an excellent Girl Scout troop leader, a seamstress, and a woman who has painted entire rooms in her house by herself!  She excels with quite confidence in everything she does.  So, too, it will be with her knitting, although she's not real advanced yet.

She emailed me and another knitting friend earlier this week, frustrated because the Brioche Stitch scarf she was working on just wasn't working out right.  In my typical fashion, I sent her back a long involved message outlining exactly how to do yarn overs, and how to slip purlwise -- that sort of thing.  Joyce, the other friend, who is always ready to help wherever and whenever needed, picked up some needles and yarn and began swatching out the pattern herself!  Still, several days later, Kari was struggling and doing a lot of ripping out.

Finally, yesterday afternoon, we both had the time and Kari stopped over for me to do some hands on.  It only took me a few minutes to show her what she needed to fix and for her to get the hang of it.  (Sometimes just remembering when to put the yarn in front, when in back, is the toughest part of a pattern.) 

While she was working at my kitchen table, I saw that the pattern was written for three skeins of Noro Silk Garden.  Not the yarn Kari was using, but something that I knew I had several skeins of in my stash.  So, once she had a few rows down, we came up to the bedroom where I keep my stash.  I warned her first, and then opened the double doors.  Of course, bags and balls of yarn all came tumbling out.  Including the Silk Garden, which I promptly handed over.  It was a guilty pleasure -- I know Kari is not the type to spend much money on luxury yarns, but I wanted her to have the experience -- to see the subtle variations in the color, to feel the texture.  To know "the good stuff!"  Of course, I didn't expect anything in return except for a "Hey, thanks!"

But, look what I found on my front porch when I came home after Tae Kwon Do this morning!

With this lovely note.

I talked to her a little while ago.  Her husband is working, her kids are busy doing their teenage things, and Kari is spending a gray, snowy winter afternoon knitting with yarn she adores.  And I guess I need to spend part of the afternoon continuing to clean out and organize the stash cabinet!

This I will wear!

Self-portrait of moi, sporting the just-finished-a-second-ago (okay, almost finished... read on) Embroidered Beanie Hat.  The hat is completely knit, with all ends woven in.  All I haven't done yet is the embroidery, and thanks to this website, I have an easy reference of how to make those sweet little ribbon flowers that are supposed to decorate this darling hat.  Pattern comes from Louisa Harding's The Accessories Collection.  The yarn is Louisa Harding Kimono Angora (luscious!) in Pink.  All from my visit to Knit Happens.  (See my Home Sweet Home entry from December, 2005.)

No face shots -- I have on no makeup today.  But, don't the hair and nails look nice?  Let's hear it for CHI straightening and gel nails -- hurray!  And Drew and Cindy.  He does my hair.  She does my nails.  I'm a new me!

Happy Birthday Zack

Funny... I just noticed the picture at the top right of my latest FO.  And look who is modeling it?  One of my finest FO's ever, my son Zack, who today turns 15 years old.  (Prepare here for a motherly gush....)  This boy, who is morphing daily into a young man, is such a joy in my life!  For all of the frustrations... he is still one of the most unique, loving, interesting, intelligent, and free-thinking people I have ever known.

For strategic reasons, his sisters and I carded and gifted him last night at about 11:40 PM, and the love in the room was palpable.  He truly is a one-of-a-kind blessing in our lives.  Not that he doesn't drive me absolutely start raving mad at times.  Hell he sure does!  But, I can never stay angry with him for long.  He just has this something-ness about him.  And everybody who knows him knows it.  Whatever it is.  Okay enough.  Happy Birthday Zack!  May your 16th year overflow with goodness!

Knitting.  I realized this morning, as I was driving him to school because he wasn't ready in time to make the bus AND brush his teeth, that I never posted about my sweet little trip to Yarns Unlimited, a very cool yarn store in Sewickley, PA.  I grew up in Mt. Lebanon, a suburb south of Pittsburgh.  Sewickley is a tony suburb outside of Pittsburgh as well.  Why was I never in Sewickley before?  I have no clue.  But, I can tell you that it is CHARMING!  I only had a few hours, and it was a little bit rainy that morning, but I did a bit of walking around before the stores had even opened and I saw restaurants and coffee houses, boutiques, jewelry stores, bookstores, trendy and traditional clothing stores, and Yarns Unlimited.

This is a great yarn store!  The yarns are pleasingly arranged by type and manufacturer in bins along the walls.  So, if you know you are looking for a mohair, you go to the mohair section and see what they have.  Same with silks or aran weight wools or cashmeres or whatever.  They also have some sections devoted to particular labels, like a whole Noro display.  It makes sense!  The bins are filled, but not so overflowing that things fall onto the floor.

Knitting books are displayed on shelves near the front counter, and they have racks and racks of needles (all sizes, all types, Addis and Brittanys, etc.) in an alcove in the back.  Along one side of the  store is a magazine rack full of knitting magazines and pamphlets, and in the center of the room, towards the back, is a comfortable table and chairs for just browsing, knitting, or just sitting and schmoozing.

It is obviously a store where the owners and the employees love knitting and love working there!  I spent quite a lot of time talking to one of the employees, a woman (whose name is written on a card in my wallet which is downstairs, so I don't have it in front of me, sorry) who has a background in arts and design and costuming, but only became a knitter about a year ago.  Her enthusiasm was so delightful!

I had my Louisa Harding book with me, and some other patterns in my knitting bag, and I only wish I could recall what it was I had in mind to make when I bought these:

3 Skeins of Noro Silver Thaw (50% wool, 25% angora, 25% nylon) in Color No. 5.  Purples, pinks, turquoises, oranges.  Very festive!
And 1 skein of Lobster Pot Cashmere (that word again!) in a fresh pinky-peach color they call... *drumroll, please*... BOILED LOBSTER!

One more thing.  Remember Stephanie and the Knitting Olympics?  And how I couldn't face the competitive nature of it?  Well, apparently, I am not the only one.  No offense in the least way to Stephanie -- nor to the 1800+ knitters who have signed up!

However, if you are feeling too pressured by this like me, have a look at Susan's "Homer Simpson Olympic Knitalong"and Margene's Eddie Along.  They will both make you SMILE -- and pick up your yarn and needles!  (The carrot is stronger than the stick, what?)

In Response to all of my (Darling) Commenters!

Due to odd technological realities and my changeover late last summer from the family's Windows XP computer to my own personal (hurray!) Apple laptop, I can easily receive the emails and comments that my darling readers send thru this blog. But, responding to those comments and emails unfortunately requires a few timely twists and turns on my part. Not that you aren't worth it, or that I don't read all of your messages. You are and I do! But I sometimes get lazy with the responses, so here is a small compendium of correspondence:

Paulsmom, you asked me about the skater hat. As you can see, I made one using Manos yarn and a pattern from Joelle Hoverson's Last Minute Knitted Gifts. There is also a famous knitted beanie pattern called The London Beanie. Google it and you'll have it within seconds. (I'd post a link here, but I forgot to post using Firefox and Safari doesn't let me. Dumb. Very.)

Karen, I'm so sorry I wasn't able to say "hi" on Sunday morning! I was dealing with my 4th graders and all 3 of my children and who was going when and where and with whom. What a weekend... my 4th graders did a little schtick at services Friday night, then I assisted with the 6th Grade Shabbaton on Saturday morning, and after Hebrew School we had a Faculty Meeting. I didn't leave the building until after 2:30. I'm looking forward to this weekend and having FREE TIME! Rick is looking forward to sleeping. He is in Europe right now -- Germany, Denmark, France, and England in 6 days. Several flights, business meetings, tours of facilities, and L-O-N-G late dinners in marvelous restaurants in inns and castles that date back to the 7th century.

DipsyD, Go SABRES!! Zack is being taken to the game tomorrow by his best friend as a birthday present. He turns 15 on Friday. I was looking at him last night and could not believe that this tall, handsome, young man-like creature beginning to grow facial hair is my baby boy! (Thanks for noticing how cute he is, Anna!)

And Stacie, if only I had the time (and a washing machine not stuffed with normal laundry) to do it!

Final Note: My friend Amy's brilliant and beautiful daughter Joanna should be appearing on JEOPARDY starting tonight! (That's Wednesday, 2/1/06.) Check your local listings! Set your VCR's! Mom's keeping mum on the results. We'll just have to wait and watch!