Instant Gratification

As per usual, it's been way too long since my last blog post. Don't fret, floating in my brain and waiting for a few finishing touches I have a few good blogs in store for you including a new free pattern, some exciting news, and a possible new obsession!
Just to prove that I am still knitting and even finishing projects from time to time, here's a little instant gratification for you:



This is a quick and easy project, The Runner's Companion, (version 1) which probably took around 5 hours, if that, to complete. I used the pattern's specified yarn, Cascade Fixation, in red to match the ipod. I imagine that any stash yarn in the same weight would work fairly well, although yarn with elastic will yield the best results.
Big thanks to Mary for bringing this pattern to my attention! Check out the one that she made here: Knit To My Lou

Some FOs and Yarn Porn for ya

I was able to finish up Windansea rather quickly - she turned out just lovely! I still haven't added in the elastic around the base of the crown, but that shouldn't take too long at all. The only problem was getting the wire to sit in a nice circle (I'm still working on manipulating it just right). For that reason I thinking that a little thicker gauge wire might be better than the 18 gauge that the pattern calls for. After finishing up this project I've discovered that this would be a perfect hat for Guy's Grammy, so it will probably go her way come Christmas time.



I also started a set of Spirogyra mitts last week. Guy and I were going for a double feature at the theater and I needed something that would be simple enough for me to work on while in the movies. This pattern is perfect for that!
I'm also in love with the buttery tones of the Art Yarns Supermerino (color 223). It's hardly noticeable in this picture, but there is a subtle change of the yellow throughout the yarn which gives it a little more texture. Many thanks to the Knit Knacker who sent me this gorgeous yarn in a previous swap (I think it was Steph, but I might be wrong - sorry I don't remember exactly!).



I'm so pleased with the Spirogyra pattern that I've decided to dump my other swap project for my Knit Knack Buddy at the 11th hour and make a set of these for her instead. Sure, there's only a week until mailing, but I'm confident that I'll make the deadline. I think I found a great yarn that she'll like as well. It's Schaefer Yarn's Lola, a superwash merino wool. The color initially attracted me, and then I liked it doubly when I read that it was part of the Memorable Women color series. This particular color is called Indira Gandhi and the tag has a short little bio of her life (Click the link above to see who else made the cut).



I found that yarn yesterday when I was picking up a quick class at Ancient Pathways. They were holding classes all day yesterday for their "Christmas in July" event so that we could all get a jump start on our holiday knitting. Here's the cute little ornament that I made:



Isn't that just adorable? I'm debating whether or not my folks would appreciate this kind of ornament or think of it as just another kooky gift from me.

Aside form the Lola yarn, I also got to pick up these two skeins. The top one was hand dyed locally by AP shop owner Meg and will be sent to my Knit Knack swap buddy with her mitts. The bottom one is from another local artist, ravelry user French75. This sock yarn is in the color Marronnier (Chestnut Tree) and if you're not in my neck of the woods you can check out her stuff online at her etsy shop Here.

Attack of the UFOs!

Yesterday I stumbled upon the perfect summer pattern, Windansea:



For me, there is nothing better than the perfect floppy hat, and frankly I think I found it with this pattern. It simple and unassuming, what more does a girl need in a summer hat? After just one glance at Windansea I knew that I had to run out to the yarn store immediately after work to get the yarn to start.

It wasn't until after I had wound and swatched the yarn that, upon searching for an empty project bag, I realized that I have way too many UFOs (UnFinished Objects) in my project basket. Out of simple curiosity, I decided to pull everything out and take quick inventory:



Yikes! We've got...

• Twist & Shout, one sleeve and assembly short of finished
• Two original hats. One was commissioned by a co-worker in December; the other needs only about an inch to be completed but requires me to wind a second skein of yarn
• Baby hat and booties, which are for my good friend's child that was born in May. Hat needs about 3-4 inches more, the booties need to be hemmed
• In the Pink, which I put down just as I was to begin the home stretch, the edging
• And of course the mitts that I am making for my Knit Knack buddy for our One Skein Exchange
• Pictured also is Windansea, which, being the ever optimist, I'm hoping will break my nasty UFO pattern

And Just to be fair, here's my list of FO (Finished Objects) for 2009:

• Shalom (which technically hasn't been blocked yet)
  

Ouch.

It's a sad, sad day when a knitter realizes that she has more UFOs then FOs for the entire year. But honestly, could you really blame me for wanting to start Windansea, especially once I was Seduced by the yarn color, Sorcery?

A Eulogy for Jill St. Onge

I had to force myself to sit down at the computer tonight to compose this blog, so I apologize in advance for what will probably be a rambler. For knitting readers, the only relation this will have is perhaps a loose theoretical concept of the unexpected ways in which the fabric of our lives knit together and often unravel. Other than that, I got nothing for you at this time.

In journalism, they say that you gotta start with the facts, so here's the best I can do with that: My long time friend, Jill St. Onge, died suddenly and tragically this past Saturday while on the last leg of a three month journey throughout South East Asia with her fiance Ryan Kells. The details of how she died are chronicled in a blog that her brothers have set up here so I will not go into further details on that.

It's the why of her death that we can't seem to get to the root of, partly due to the distance, foreign government's cover-up attitudes, diplomatic bullshit, and who knows what other mysterious factors. The St. Onges and the Kells are doing their best to get to word out with as much media coverage as possible in an effort to get some actual answers and to prevent future deaths (the day after Jill died, two other tourist staying in the bungalow next to them became ill with similar symptoms, one of whom died).

This all feels so surreal. I can't really even think of how to string together words to express my sorrow and love for this crazy and wonderful person. I've been friends with Jill since we were 12 (so that's like, what, three, four years? I'm bad with numbers) and we have joked over the years that when we're old and have outlived our partners we'll be the crazy ladies of the neighborhood sitting out on the porch together sippin' brews. I guess now I'll be going solo in my rocker.

We have had that kind of friendship in which time and distance never meant much of anything. Whether it had been one day or one year since we last saw each other, when we came back together it was like no time was lost at all. Hell, she's knew the stuff that great friendships are made of. I love that girl to no end and I'm struggle to come to terms with the fact that this is one distance that I won't be able to cross. I'm learning what a broken heart feels like.

I've often thought of Jill as one of those crystals that hang in a sunny window, taking the light and reflecting it in new and unexpected ways throughout the room. Jill does exactly that - shining a new radiance on everything and everyone that she comes in contact with. I know in my life she did wonders, teaching me how to let go and not feel like I always have to be in control, to enjoy the moments in life as they come without over-planning for the future. Life happens and for Jill that's no understatement.

With Jill there is always a sense of adventure. As kids exploring in the hills in her back yard, teens sneaking off to check out the "haunted" abandoned boys school, taking hour long road trips to check out some ska/punk band that we've never heard of, driving, just driving anywhere to see where we'll end up, moving cross country on a lark... there was no end to her sense of curiosity. The thing I learned with every Jill adventure, be it big or small, was that it's the journey, not the destination that counts. When she said that she was taking a three month vacation backpacking through South East Asia with just a loose itinerary and some money in her pocket, I wasn't surprised. With Jill, you learn to expected the unexpected.

I feel like there is so much more I could write - pages, in fact - about my dear friend and our 16 year friendship and yet I don't have the words right now. If I could, I'd post some pictures from over the years to fill in for my lost words. As it is, I don't have a working scanner nor do I have the heart to sift through all my old photo albums.

I suppose that these will have to suffice for now. Here's a very un-Jill-ish photo at my wedding (because only if asked by a friend would she wear a dress like that) and then at her college graduation in 2006.





I guess the only thing left to say at this time is that I love Jill dearly and I can't imagine this world without her in it.

Shalom & In the Pink

I finished up Shalom.


I much prefer a people model for FOs, but since the intended recipient is skinny and I am, well, not, I had to use a chair instead. I added a little embroidered OM (or at least the semblance of, I hope) to cover up a mistake in the border. Mom always said, if you've made a mistake you might as well show it off in style! To tell the truth, I actually like the way it turned out.



Oh yeah, and remember how I was bemoaning my stupidity at ordering so few skeins? It turns out that skinny people don't need as much yardage - I ended up using one less skein than I had originally ordered. Which means that now I have a shitload of Knit Picks Shamrock in Connolly. Go figure!




Sunday night I started working on In the Pink using the gorgeous Blue Heron Yarn featured previously in my blog. The pattern, despite the way it looks when you print out the directions is actually very simple and easy to follow so far. In fact, it's somewhat addicting, which could be the combination of the easy-to-memorize pattern, luscious yarn, and the fact that whatever fragrance was in the yarn shop where I purchased it still permeates the yarn so with each stitch I get a whiff of deliciousness. (FYI - The shop is Knit and Pearl).


I honestly believe this gem of a pattern would be queued and knit more frequently if it was written more simply and with the addition of pictures (currently the pattern is very wordy and has nary a photo). For example, I realized that on the center circle from round 12 through 54 it could have been written simply like this instead:

Round 1: (yo, k1) 3 times, k to 2 sts before marker, k2tog. Rep to end of round
Round 2: k to 2 sts before marker, k2tog. Rep to end of round
Repeat these two rounds until you have 27 stitches between markers. Then, repeat round 1 once more (29 sts between markers).

I think that a lot of knitters are intimidated when they have to follow page after page of instruction and don't always take the time to sit down and look at what is really going on with a pattern. Also more detailed and step by step pictures of the process are very useful for visual learners (myself included).



So far I've finished the central medallion and right side (picture above shows the center medallion at about halfway done - more pictures to follow when I have good lighting).

Tonight I began working on the left side and found that Rows 5- 7 didn't make sense. A quick Ravelry search lead me to these alternate instructions by Ravelrer KnittingToday which I have copied below directly from her pattern notes:

5) K3, (YO, K1) twice, YO, PM, SSK, (K1, YO) twice 3 times, SSK, YO, K1, YO, K3
6) K3, P24, K3
7) K3, YO, K1, YO, PM, K3, Yo, K1, Yo, M, SSK, K1, (K1, YO)twice 3 times, SSK, (K1, YO)twice, K3

I'm scurrying off to try this out now - hope it works!

New Kids & New Yarn

My sister Colleen and I went to a New Kids on the Block concert this Friday night. Colleen as a teen was the worlds biggest New Kids fan. I'm talking posters all over the wall, their entire tape collection, a binder full of clippings from every teen magazine in which they were featured, t-shirts, videos... the list goes on. So when I found out they were having a reunion tour I couldn't deny her inner 13-year-old the chance of a lifetime to see NKOTB.

Turns out, the cheap general admission seats were the ones to have at the Santa Barbara Bowl because we ended up being closer than the most expensive tickets - or as Col put it, close enough to see the sweat on their foreheads. Go ahead, squeal with delight, you know you want to.

In anticipation of the start of the show:



The No-So-New-Kids:



If you were a pre-teen around the same time I was, you may recognize this dance move:



Col, with "her" New Kid, Donny (Because all girls pick out their favorite New Kid. I wanted mine to be Jon, but since my oldest sister had already laid claim to him I had to do with second choice Danny).



Good times!

And so as to not make this post completely unrelated to knitting...

While in Santa Barbara I got the chance to stop in on LYS, Loop & Leaf and pick up some yarn. If you are ever in the Santa Barbara area I highly recommend stopping by this cute little shop. It's located in what was once a house just off of the touristy State Street. When I arrived there were groups of knitters sitting around the yard enjoying the sunshine, as well as one woman spinning yarn under a tree. If I didn't have to jet out of town I'm fairly certain that I could have spent an entire afternoon out there!

The yarns were at times pricey (I saw one skein of hand spun for over $100. Ain't no way I'm buying that!!) but the shop is very well put together with a lot of variety. I ended up picking up 3 skeins of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in the lovely shade of Ashburn.



I'm not sure what this will be yet (perhaps a shawl?) but I just loved the color.

Knits for Chicks

What will they think of next??



Other proposed titles: Frozen Chicken, Coats for Cocks, Chicken Knits, WTF?