Swallowtail Has Flown The Nest

I miss her.
Firstly, I'm not a fast knitter. Secondly, we lived together since April. No marathon sessions, just a slow, easy lace knit. Some points to mention - I enjoyed the yarn. It had a bit of a thick/thin thing happening which made it less slippery than other wool lace yarns I used, which was good. I wasn't crazy about the transition to the Lily of the Valley border, but in the end, the little thing bloomed quite nicely. It really grew! And last night I gave it to my sister for her birthday. She loved it! It's very peachy on her, more pink on me. Son played "Happy Birthday" on his saxaphone - a real sinus opener, and 5 year old daughter did a dance and made her a rather large beaded necklace. We all had cake, which I'm paying for today (I'm wheat and gluten intolerant). So now I'm on to finishing some other things on my sidebar, and revving up the engines for MS3.


Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl from IK Fall 2006
Yarn: Moorehouse Merino Lace in Peach - 2 skeins - the store is very close to my parents' house
Needles: Addi Lace Turbo Size 5, Crystal Palace Size 8 circulars for last row and bind off


By the way, Nups are cool. Oh, and one more thing to mention - 16 year old daughter walked by three times while it was blocking, mind you, in the middle of the kitchen on the kitchen table, finally looked at it and said in a monotone voice, "Wow, I could never do that." I'm not going to try to figure out if that was a compliment or she feels she now has physical evidence that I'm a lunatic...

We Knit in School Today

My 10 year old son loves to knit.
Today was his 4th grade class picnic, an annual event that occurs rain or shine. Today it rained, so I packed up a bag of some old Boye needles, acrylic yarn from who-knows-when and headed off to school. I'm the class mom, but I fortunately didn't have to deliver the pizza. I bought the soda (begrudgingly - we don't drink the stuff here and we don't really think any kids should) and arrived after the pizza and soda had been consumed, and at around the time when some of the students seemed tired of "Uno Attack" and Kinnex. When I asked if anyone wanted to learn how to knit, a few boys jumped up, followed by a few more, and then more! At this point, I was long out of needles, so I told them to grab pencils. They each picked a yarn and off they went, casting on and doing a few garter stitch rows. While some didn't get too far, others attacked it with abandon. "Mrs. C!" I heard, over and over. "I need help!", said some. "Come look at how I'm doing!" said others. By the thick of it, there were a group of about 12 boys, scattered around the classroom focused on their knitting. Only one girl came by, and my son showed her how to knit. She was concerned though that once she learned knitting she might forget how to crochet...
All the students were all so proud, showing me their work, complete with loops and wonkiness. In the midst of the learning, a boy sat quietly with his needles and yarn, and when I looked over at him, he was knitting Continental. But I had shown them all English! He said he had learned from his grandma. He also told me he prefers the long-tail cast-on method. He'll probably be knitting a sweater before long!
I hope that some of these boys take this new hobby and practice it over the summer. I told them about how it makes me happy and keeps me calm. I offered them the idea that they should try it in the mornings after they've gotten ready for school and are waiting for the bus or car. Who knows, maybe more boys will knit, and in another 10 years we'll have more men knitters. Then maybe we won't have war. The politicians can knit instead of argue.

I got a present from the teacher for being a class mom. She goes out of her way to find out what we like. She nailed it! Here it is.
Serendipity, Rubber Soul, and Inky Antics rubber stamps. Did I mention the teacher is a knitter too? I can only hope my son's 5th grade teacher knits too!

My SP10 Is...

KELLY NOWICKI!

She's been a terrific Pal. Look what she just sent:
No, really, take a closer look...
The yarn is from Dye-a-bolical Yarns, in a beautiful multicolorway. Its over 400 yards, so I may even make a little capelet or shawlette with it. Her theme was summer, and her fun little gifties really reflected that. And those candy kisses were gone seconds after the pic was taken. If I get a moment to myself, the bubble bath will be used this weekend.
If you come across a swap like this, I recommend giving it a try. It really brightened these last few months, and somehow, the packages always seemed to arrive on a day when I needed a lift the most.

Swallowtail Shawl

Actually, a present for my sister. Let's hope I can finish it in time for her birthday later in June.
I start the nupps today. I'm anxious to experience the hubb-bubb...

Yarn: Morehouse Merino Laceweight, in coral
Needles: Addi Lace Size 4

Did I mention I'm loving it! I really enjoy lace!

FLICKR LETTER FUN

Try it - it even makes cuss words look good...



Thanks BeachBungalow8!

Soho Dreamin'

Daughter #1 and I went shopping in Soho yesterday. But more than the stores, we took in the people. We've been over on Long Island too long and haven't had a trip to the city in a while. We didn't get the memo that little cotton sun dresses are EVERYWHERE! Daughter #1, being the major fashionista, wants them. Many of them. But nothing in the discounty type stores (aka Canal St.) would do. But when the price tag says $250, that's way over her price range on her tiny paycheck from her first real job. So we found ourselves over at Purl Soho Fabric and she realized that she could find a print that would work. So now we are off to find a suitable pattern to determine yardage, and I'm hoping my little girl will discover the love of sewing her mom has. I just have to figure out how to teach her so that
a) She doesn't get frustrated
b) I don't end up doing it all
c) She's pleased enough with the results to want to sew more
I just wish we had more interesting fabric options closer by. I'm sorry if I offend anyone out there, but JoAnn's is usually not my cuppa tea.
Anyway, some knitting eye candy for you. A bit fuzzy, but my camera isn't the best with closeups. Come to think of it, it isn't great with any "ups". Just a peak at my latest project...
Yea, I know, I didn't finish Monkey yet, but I have a present to make, and I'm still mourning the loss of my CP#1 in the yard.

"Don't You Wish Your SP10 Was Great Like Mine!"

My Secret Pal struck again! This time everything was wrapped in red (favorite color) sparkly tissue paper, festooned with flowery sequins. I saved it all, folding it up and storing it neatly away... Inside - a favorite sock yarn, Twisted Sisters Handpainted Zazu. This is an extra fine merino, might even be made into a small decorative lacy scarf. Gorgeous colors! The needles you see next to the yarn are bamboo #9s decorated with glass balls at the top and matching stitch markers. Lovely! I also received the most adorable stuffed lamby, which my 4 year old immediately took off with. Included in my haul was some nice stitch markers - colorful and rubbery. I needed these since the only rubbery ones I had were taken from a Happy Meal Toy - (or maybe it was Wendy's) some kind of ring toss game. They max out at size 5 needles. The biggest ones in this set will fit 11s. Yay! Next up is a set of bent tapestry needles and a case. I've only been using straight tapestry needles from my old quilt tying days.

Now hold on, there's more!
A cute lamb tape measure, which I really need since all of my old tape measures seem to have vanished. Try to measure a garment with a big flat Olfa quilting ruler! There's also a nice little brown dotty notebook. The pages are brown too and the whole book smells just like a paper lunch bag. Yes, I admit it, I smelled it. What does that say about me? I smell yarn too, but I guess that's no big deal in this realm we blog in. I'm terrible at keeping notes and I've decided that this book will the be the beginning of keeping track of what row I'm on.
{Mr and Mrs. Potato Head were there on the dining room table ready to greet the new kid on the block.}

So, this is why I'm singing "Don't You Wish Your SP10 was Great Like Mine?"

A Little Diversion from Knitting

What American accent do you have?
Created by Xavier on Memegen.net

Northeastern.
You're probably from somewhere near New York City, possibly north Jersey, or Connecticut or Rhode Island. If you are from New York City you may be one of the types who people never believe when you say you're from New York.

Take this quiz now - it's easy!

We're going to start with "cot" and "caught." When you say those words do they sound the same or different?

Same Same, no wait I mean different, maybe, a little bit different... Different

The More You Knit, the More You Learn aka Razor Cami

KnottyMouse said it best. She calls it Lace Lessons. I call it Lace Credo.

Thanks to shadkitty for pointing me in the direction of her wisdom. And for that matter, shadkitty has quite a bit of wisdom herself!

So here's a bit of lace, deceptively easy, but so easy to mess up too. As with many others who have come and knit before, I decreased a bit before I put on the straps. I left the pattern pretty much as is otherwise, because I'm a purist in that sense and felt that any deviation (like ribbing at the top) was detracting from the designer's intentions. The straps will probably need to be shortened because I didn't realize how much the cotton would stretch. Figures, I did a nice Kitchner on them too.
Pattern: Razor Cami from Oh My Stars (Thanks Katie!)
Yarn: Classic Elite Tencel Cotton, icey blue
Needles: Size 4 clover bamboo (all other #4s previously occupied but did the job just fine)
I loved the lace pattern, and loved the yarn. I started this last Fall, and put it aside when the weather got colder and I longed for the feel of wool in my hands instead of cotton. I ran out of yarn and reordered in April, and couldn't get the same dye lot. In this case you cannot tell the difference. I was lucky. So, this is technically a finished UFO, although it never got on to the sidebar. So folks, can I start something new now, or do I have to finish another UFO? Check back for my decision...

I'm Enjoying This

Come check out ThisNext.

Happy Mother's Day

Maia put a picture of her grandmother on her blog a while back. I found one of mine, and thought it was appropriate to put it on here for Mother's Day. My grandma had a huge roll in raising me, and I loved her dearly. I miss her every day, even though she's been gone for over 30 years. When the going gets tough, I feel her presence so strongly, like she's right by my side helping me. I didn't think I'd go this direction with my knitting blog - wanted to keep it all knitting, etc., but I thought grandma should be immortalized here. She would have loved the internet. She was forever clipping patterns for knitting and crochet from Family Circle and Good Housekeeping. I saved many of them. It's so great to have her handwriting on them. It makes me feel like she's still here. In her later years, she was enamored with crewel work, and we are fortunate to have some beautiful pieces - part of her legacy. We did all kinds of crafts together. We loved to paint ceramics together, and make Christmas ornaments with satin balls, sequins, bead and pins. Some of our ornaments were like snow globes, with little scenes inside, like a snowman or a creche. We would make a mess, and there was one night when Grandpa found sparkles in his meatloaf! BTW, that's my sister next to me, (the taller one, but now I'm taller) She was the Fetching recipient. Seems there were no pictures of me and Grandma alone that I could find, even though we spent more time alone together than either of my sisters did. So Alyce, you gave me the love of creating beautiful things. I love you. Happy Mother's Day.
Ah, a relaxing day at the beach! Mom and I (and the rest of the family) were visitng my Grandparents and vacationing in Florida. The picture probably preceded a lunch of hard boiled eggs and sandwiches. As you can see, I had an innate sense of fashion even at an early age... Claire, no one could love a mom more than I love you. Happy Mother's Day.

Are You Hungry?

I'm lovin' this. She has an ebay store too, with bidding wars going on. It's amazing what can happen when you suddenly veer off the safe and narrow knitting highway.

My Knitter Son

I'm proud to announce that my son has become a knitter. He started knitting about 7 months ago and would like to knit his sister a teddy bear for her upcoming birthday. We selected this pattern and this yarn and he's off and running...


He's concerned about the hole but I told him not to worry, he's still learning.
He brings it to school and knits during D.E.A.R. time (Drop Everything and Read). The girls crowd around, but at 10, he still finds them icky. Oh, how that will change in a few short years...

What is Wrong With this Picture?

I know, besides the fact that it's blurry...
This is my second Monkey. I don't want to show it to you all until I have a matched set. Here's my problem. How many needles do you see? Four, right? Where's the fifth one, you ask? I WISH I KNEW! You see, it was a beautiful day here yesterday, with temps in the low 80s. #1 child was out, #2 child was entertaining a friend and totally absorbed in PS3, and #3 child was happily playing on her own. It was a perfect opportunity to sneak an hour of knitting in on Monkey. I knit away happily out on the patio in the chaise. My husband started sweeping (I love a man who cleans) and the dust started flying. I jumped up and quickly walked away, holding Monkey. I kind of meandered around the lawn. Not the whole lawn, just a small area. Then I went inside to check on #2 child, and to pick up where I left off on Monkey. The fifth needle had gone missing. I told the children (even the guest) that the first person to find it would get $5 and the hunt was on. "Is this it?" they asked. "No, that's a twig." And so it went for about 20 minutes, until I had to bring guest home and pick up #1 child. So if any of you find my Crystal Palace #1 dpn, I'll send you $5... And if Monkey doesn't get finished soon, it's not that I haven't tried.

For ME???

A package arrived for me today. My son thought it was his Naruto cards from Ebay ("and even if it were, you haven't worked them off yet dear..."). He grabbed it out of the mailbox and his face went from pure glee to the depths of sadness. A 10 year old boy can get pretty worked up over card collecting. He handed it to me, and sure enough, it was rather squishy, not at all like cards, or even a bill. I searched my memory to try and remember what I had recently ordered. I thought I had a self-imposed yarn diet going, and thought I must be going a bit daft, not remembering what was obviously a yarn purchase made over the internet. When I opened the package, I was greeted with blue tissue paper. Then it dawned on me. Could it be my secret pal was gifting me again so soon? I tore into the package (no time for the requisite wrapped present shot - I was a woman possessed - and was greeted by this gorgeous hank of yarn love:
Its Cindy, from Whatnot Yarns , made by Joni Miles of Union Center Knits. There's a pin that says Yarn Star and a stitch marker with it as well. Plus gift labels to attach to the socks. (How about "To Me, Love, Me"?) Her Etsy shop is terrific. Thank you, my SP10. I LOVE it!!! Hope you are being treated well too! Love from Long Island...

My SP10 is the Bomb!

My SP10 package arrived today, in this cheery mailer. Lola's secret ambition is to be a bomb sniffing postal inspector dog...

Sock Yarn!!! I'm resisting the tremendous urge to start a new pair with this gorgous stuff, called Inca Fiber. No content, but I'm suspecting baby alpaca and maybe silk? I've never heard of the brand before. The color and sheen are intense. Son wants another pair of green socks but I think these are very dh-ish, and will become Gentleman's Fancy Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks.
They'll have to wait until Monkey is done, but the candy is for NOW. My kids are grateful too, because now mom isn't raiding their candy stashes at 4 in the afternoon. Thanks SP10. You're terrific!

Jaywalkers OFF the Needles

That's a whole 'lotta Jaywalker there! Only 2 weeks behind schedule. They were to be an anniversary present for dh but since the weather here has been on the chilly side he wore them proudly off to work today. He likes them long. Here's a rare pose of the feet, which are attached to his legs, attached to his bum, actually sitting on the couch before 9:00 pm so I could post this pic in my blog today:
I promise you that little mark on his right foot is not a hole, but some schmutz that came from the rug. Schmutz abounds lately.

Yarn: Briar Rose Fibers Grandma's Blessings
Needles: Crystal Palace Bamboo Size #1 dpns

It's quite possible that he'll strut around the halls of the facility today (he's a post-production sound engineer for TV) showing off his present, pants rolled around his knees. People like that don't really stand out much in lower Manhattan in the television industry, trust me.
I loved the yarn, but something strange happened to it when I used my friend's neostphine and tried to wind it into a center-pull ball. It got super twisted and kinked alot. This caused me to have to stop knitting every so often and get the kinks out by letting the sock dangle from the ball. ANNOYING! I don't know how this actually happened, but I do know that it was from winding on the neostphine because before that I had it on a nice little hand wound ball and had no problems. If anyone has a clue as to what happened, let me know. For now, I'm blaming dh because he was the actual winder and since he's a tense individual to begin with, I charge him with the crime of winding too tightly.
Now that they're done, I'll finish up my Monkeys, and make some progress on my Storm Water Scarf. Keep me on track here folks. I just ordered some gorgeous lace weight yarn in the hopes that warm weather is around the corner, and a new shawl needs to be started. Oy.

My children just inventoried their sugar haul from yesterday. (Happy Easter!) When mom (me) says no candy before lunch, at least they can hold it and look at it. Kind of like us knitters with a new yarn and too many projects on the needles to cast on!

I Thought Knitting Was Supposed to Be Relaxing

I'm on what is all too familiar to many of you knitters out there as the "must finish this before I start another" journey. I thought I'd never succumb to this feeling. I said I suffered too long under this self-imposed guilt when I was a quilter. But I realize, as many of you do, that I have too many WIPs and it is starting to eat at me. So here is my Jaywalker, the second, sitting in the corner. (Yes, that's the leg of a treadle Singer next to it.) I should be the one in the corner, because I'm the one that keeps forgetting to KFB and ends up with too few stitches but of course, it isn't discovered until 2 rows from the mistake. So tink tink tink I go, all morning, knit an inch, rip a half, knit a half inch, rip a quarter, and so on. Not to mention the kids and the dog. Why do they need breakfast? Leave me alone in my self-imposed exile of "finish one project before you start another" land. Did I mention that the Jaywalkers are a gift which is now 5 days late, for my husband for our 19th anniversary? Now anyone out there thinking of starting a pair of Jaywalkers, don't let this post deter you. It is a wonderful pattern, very easy to follow and just saucy enough to keep my interest. And did I say a relaxing knit? Usually, but not this morning. Maybe its because the whole thing start when this bad boy came to town:
Lisa Sousa sock yarn, color Pacific. Freshly dyed I'm informed (with a March 26th date on the label, coincidentally my anniversary date), and beckoning me to abandon everything and come cast-on. Never did two hyphenated words sound so elicit before...

BTW, the kids and Lola the dog did eat well, but obviously, she does need a haircut. I wonder if Portuguese Water Dog hair can be spun...

Go Yarn Harlot!

Dude... did we have fun at FIT last night or what? Yarn Harlot aka Stephanie Pearl-McPhee spoke about knitting and the muggles, (watch out for "C.H.O.K.E.") while we listened and took part in what has now come to be called "Represent". She is an excellent speaker, unassuming yet powerful. Her analogies left us all ROTFL (as daughter #1 would type if she were allowed her Myspace back). I met my two knitting girlfriends from my Barnes and Noble Knit Night, who had made a day of the yarn crawls. I drooled over their loot. The Koigu, the Lorna's Laces, the fancy carry-along which will be worked into a fantastic scarf by Karen. Liz, I can't wait to see those mittens!!! I wasn't able to make a day of it but I was lucky to just get to the lecture. My life as a mommy kept me from having the entire day off. It's not in my benefits package... We were all given yarn and needles to knit a square for Warm Up America, so we knitted and laughed and knitted some more. I was astounded by the sight of so many knitters, knitting in one place. And everyone was so happy to be there. Husband met me there after work, and I translated for him when terms flew by like dpns and gauge. I was glad he got to see what it was all about and that I'm not the only one out there in love with knitting.
Here's a pic of our buttons. The big one was handed out at the door (still so shocked that there was no entrance fee, living in the land of nothing is free here in NY) and we were instructed to wear it when going in and out of the auditorium. The little pin was $2 and is for Doctors Without Borders, a cause Stephanie is very passionate about.
And finally, my book, signed. I know, I'm smitten.
Pics will be posted soon of the lecture room and the attendees. They're being held captive on husband's phone...

Meathead Hat Quickie

Daughter #2 picked out this Plymouth Encore Colorspun Bulky the other day at a LYS. The pattern is called Meathead from Stitchmarker. The flower is from Nicky Epstein's Knitted Embellishments and I found the pattern here. I used #15 straights, some vintage Susan Bates that might very well be one of my first sets ever purchased way back in junior high. This hat took about 45 minutes to make. My only changes on the next one would be to cast on using the long tail method instead of cable cast on (too loose) and to cast on with #13s and save the #15s for the stockinette part. I think 'll make another for the donation at FIT. We're all converging there tomorrow to listen to YarnHarlot. Can't wait!