Best of Both Worlds

Lately I have been into knitting more than spinning.  Usually knitting is a process and spinning seems to be for a project but Finishupitis mixed with Startitis (see the Yarn Harlot for definitions) have confuddled my circuits.
A lot of projects  have been completed (see previous posting) and several new designs are started.  Until I know where the designs are going I can't really show them to you which puts a crimp in the sharing of the excitement while making them.  But I just might cheat a wee little bit.

The two diseases got me combining spinning with the already done feature of ready made yarn.

I love Blue Lagoon and even though I thunk it up last summer lately, right now, it is a color that perks me up amid all the white and grey and dark brown and ice.

So I spun up a thin single of  blue Lagoon Polwarth and paired it with some Woody Blue Lagoon. Now I'm knitting it into a pair of socks for moi using the Bare Bones pattern.

I also had a single of some mostly purpley Blueberry Patch that I paired with Blue Lagoon Woody to make the newest hat prototype.  I just knit with 2 strands held together making a heavy worsted weight yarn on size 8 needles.

It works for me, at least for now.

OFF the needles.

I think it may be a residual result of getting so many things actually done and given to relatives, friends and charity but I have been finishing items and hesitating to start new ones even though I have purchased a pattern or two, some Madelinetosh yarn, and have several pattern designs running around in my head.

So what is OFF the needles and done?

1-  The tam I promised in exchange for some discontinued Filatura di Crossa kid mohair / acrylic (yes- acrylic - don't faint.  We'll keep this just between us.) yarn.

2- The tam I promised myself once the de Nile items were done and the exchange hat was completed and shipped off to Ontario.

3- The vest I made to use up 4 skeins of the angora/merino yarn.  (BTW all but 3 skeins in natural remain.)

 Taken with my iPod.  Gosh I love that little gizmo.

4 - The sweater I started way back last year.  I actually meant it to be a short sleeved cardi but once it was all knit decided to leave it as a sweater.

I was going to put buttons down the steeked column and let it look cardi-ish but when the sweater was blocked decided to actually turn it into a v-neck short sleeved sweater.  

This meant changing the steek line. I tried on the sweater to see where to end the V and decided the best place was above the horizontal band near the bust line.
 Steeking is scary under regular circumstances but I took a chance, marked a v line with pins and then used my trusty sewing machine to make a nice unseeable hold off the unraveling line of stitches.  Then I breathed a lot, went away, came back, went away, picked up the scissors and had a chat with myself.

"So what's the worst that can happen?
Well I could ruin this sweater.
Yes, and......???? 
Well it took forever to knit.
Are you in love with it?
No, I thought I would be but am not.
OK then, so it won't be too traumatic if you ruin this will it?
Sigh,"

Then I held my breath and snipped and looked around.  Amazingly nothing catastrophic had occurred.  The room looked the same, the ceiling was in place, the snow was still outside and the cat was still sleeping on the bed with Basel on the floor on his pillow.  Let out breath.

Next I picked up stitches all around using a 24" circ.  So far so good.
Then the collar edging was knit to match the other edgings and bound off.  When I went to block this part I saw the edging was a bit loose so tacked the bottom into a more pronounced V.

Disaster averted and it actually fits.

AND

5 - Knit Picks has posted my latest design for them.  Circle of Hearts Beret.

So now I am allowed to begin a new design.  My Very Own Cowl for mvosister who says she wears the Pretty Thing almost every day in this cold cold winter.

There's a fantastic vest in the works too.

Bunny Bulky

I love yarn with angora in it. Actually I love almost anything with angora.  I always think others will love it too but it is becoming my experience that way more folks like other combos than angora or way more folks are just not will to pay the extra to get angora or maybe way more folks don't want to be as warm as angora yarn will be (5-6 times warmer than wool).

Chinese workers get bupkas in pay.  They work long hours under horrible conditions, live in dorms where they need to buy their own toilet paper and are told to be grateful.  One of the many reasons our economy is in the toilet is because so many of our manufacturers find it cheaper to build factories in China and employ Chinese workers than pay Americans what we are worth.

I try to avoid purchasing goods made in China.  To this end I commissioned another bunny lover to make me some bulky yarn.  It is hand 3 plied and naturally dyed.  It is also all American.  Bunny, alpaca and merino all from the USA. Dyed and plied in the USA.  Candy Cane   Well when stuff is hand done in the USA we do need to cough up more than what we have grown accustomed to paying for hand done stuff out of China.  $50-$150 for a hand made 'imported' quilt is ridiculous yet you see them in many catalogs.

I paid for 150 yard skeins of this so soft bulky weight yarn in 3 colorways and 1 natural color.  So far, in 4 months ONE skein has sold - that includes 2 vendings and on the internet. I have been drooling over these skeins since they came in but kept telling myself they would sell and be loved by someone else.  Finally, last week I succombed and took all 4 skeins of Huckleberry Ice for myself.

Then I went on Ravelry and used their incredible pattern search engine -- Vest, knitting, photos, no more than 600 yards and bulky.   This sorted into 31 patterns for me to choose from.  Such fun.  I finally went with Gwendolyn by Carolin Schwarberg from Burda Verena.

As someone who usually uses needles that are US 8 or less, knitting with 10.5 and 11's is such a treat.  This vest knit up in record time.  Well record time compared to the year it is taking me to finish a short sleeved sweater on US4's.

Gosh -  in this pic it looks like a little kid's dress.

I got halfway to the armpits in ONE DAY.

3 skeins took me to the end of the back but the 4th skein needed to be added on to sew up the shoulders.  

                              All that is left is the neck and sleeve edgings and I can start knowing there is plenty of yarn left to get it all done.  Sometimes a quick project that is not a hat is such a kick. Oh and the fact that I have shed a whole size is a definite plus.

Yes we did!

It's been a rough week what with the shootings in Tucson and the ensuing debates.    Gabrielle Giffords is miraculously free of her breathing tube and actually improving by leaps and bounds.  I believe that is from all the love sent to her from so many people who find this kind of violence abhorrent.  She is a fine fine human being.

However the darkness in this country in books, in songs, in movies and Tea Party/Republican rhetoric is difficult to avoid.  I belong to Knitters for Obama on Ravelry. We have been having quite the forum on violence in speeches as stepping stones to people who just need a nudge or two to act violently.  Just because your candidate did not get elected, is no reason to invoke the 2nd Amendment.  However when I was teaching I saw this trend in too many students and adults alike who did not take responsibility for their actions or consequences resulting from their actions.  Our democracy is at risk.

Somehow I will become involved in something to remedy this trend.  Charity knitting doesn't do it although it does foster good feelings. Don't quite know what yet, but it will appear.

Meanwhile watch this video to regain some of that hope and good feeling we had during the last presidential campaign and for a bit afterwards too.

All's well that ends well.

So my fellow cruisers, you are probably wondering where I have gone, what I have done and whom with?

With Jim recuperating and me doing his chores I find I have less time and energy for other things and some stuff gets to take a back seat.  Blogging became one of those.

Recapping on the DeNile cruise stops.

#1- hot pads for my mother  √

#2- a specific something, maybe 2, for my sister but she reads this so I am not going to say. √√

A hot pad similar to the ones for my mother but in a plain dull sage coloring.  That is just my opinion.  Mvos likes tans, taupe, dull sage, grey and blacks.  OR as a member of my guild says - murk.

Then hand spun cashmere knit into the Yarn Harlot's Pretty Thing cowl.

I was kinda hoping to have a pic of her in one but she is extremely camera shy, that or she just made nice noises and will pack this away with other nice but not wanted stuff.

#3- Texting mitts for granddaughter Alicia - √

These and the new Kathy Reichs book, Virals were a big hit.  Her Great grandma wanted to know what she would do with gloves with no fingers, weren't they useless.  "Oh no, Gram they are for texting."

#4- A felted bag granddaughter Amelia - √

Amelia sings in a chorus and loves horses.  It was rather difficult to find good horse music that could be easily felted.  I settled on "A Horse with No Name".

#5- Socks for Jim - √

Started the day of his surgery 12/14 and completed on his birthday, 12/26  5 hours before midnight.

#6- Finish my shruggy shawl to wear Christmas eve - √ with conditions

I extended the deadline as something had to give with that tight cruise schedule.  I wore a store bought sweater to Christmas eve services instead of the shruggy and allowed myself a new deadline of 12/31. Done on time with a few hours to spare.   Now I get to wear it for Roc Day.

#7- A hat or a scarf for my DIL Liz

And my son says it looks very good on her.  Temps are in the 40's and 50's in their neck of CA so I am imagining her getting good use out of this one.

And I so fell in love with this yarn and this hat that I did a Ravelry search.  The yarn is, of course, discontinued so no amount of dogpiling turned up more than an orange shade at WEBs.  However on Ravelry I did find another Susan (but in Ontario) who had several in her stash. She generously sent me a skein.  In return I am knitting her the same hat but in a lighter shade of the same yarn.  She is blond so should look very good in it.

#8- A thank you scarf for Teri - √

 Jim spun the black merino.  I spun the multi colored merino. Then I held both together to get a worsted weight yarn.

#9- There is/are probably another one or two hiding some where in the yarn room - √

A donation for our Roc Day raffle.

All in all a very successful trip down that creek called DeNile but----  I got very tired of working under such pressure with so many deadlines one after the other.  Ruth says I say the same thing every year. sigh.

How did your trip conclude?

Glory to the Knitters

We know knitters are a bit different from the average muggle. For one thing muggles think we are the most patient people they have ever met, not knowing that without our knitting keeping our fingers busy and creating something useful from 'wasted' time, we might actually bite someone's head off.

We continue to amaze the folks at Doctors without Borders, although when a volunteer calls and I say I have already given through Knitters Without Borders, being muggles they don't know what I am talking about.  Knitters have contributed $1,062,217 out of a goal of 1 million $.  This amount is still increasing  as the emails get counted.  You actually do give to Doctors Without Borders but then you email the Yarn Harlot and it is counted in the Knitters' totals separately.

Some of us give and some knit and some do both for causes local and around the world.  I believe we do this from our hearts, expecting nothing in return except that we feel better knowing that our efforts have helped someone somewhere. 


Recently here in Ithaca I wrote about the grad students learning to knit and then each giving one item to our community effort to help the young adults at Trinity Place Shelter in NYC. We also attended community knit-ins to work on other items.  The woman who coordinated the effort has let us know that we sent 15 scarves, 30 hats, hand warmers, leg warmers and a lap blanket plus a box of new socks and underwear.


The shelter's executive director wrote, "FYI, Your queer knitters not only saved Christmas but also our beloved youth's cold fingers, noses and toes!!!! :) THE BOXES HAVE BEGUN TO ARRIVE!!! Hats, gloves and scarves were given out immediately, tonight! To much fanfare and immense delight of the youth!"

This morning I saw this amazing video and just had to share it with you all.

If you are so moved please make donations payable to:

Livability John Grooms Norwich

and send them to:

The Knitted Christmas Tree

John Grooms Court

215 Sprowston Road

Norwich NR3 4HX

United Kingdom

Thank you

What an extreme pleasure it is to share this craft with so many talented heartfelt folks. 

Happy Holidays.

Our regularly scheduled blog will return in a day or two with Holiday Knitting results.

Medical Miracles

I am not generally a fan of western medicine.  I think pharmaceuticals are used way too often when prevention or something else like more exercise, better eating or losing weight might be a better option.  However when it comes to surgical procedures I am a real supporter.

Jim's back has been hurting him for 10 years or more.  He has had progressive neuropathy of his feet resulting in his dancing when standing still (just to maintain some balance), no feeling on his soles and rarely being able to bend his toes.  In the past year the pain associated with all off this has grown and grown to where he could not bend over without severe lingering pain.  He did see a neurologist many years ago but that guy basically told him to 'suck it up'.  Being a guy, that is just what he did.  sigh

After many months of nagging gentle persuasion and the fact that he really really wants to paddle the Adirondack Classic again (he's raced it 13 times and won 3 times in his class) he agreed to see a physician a couple of months ago.  An MRI was taken and an appointment with a neurosurgeon was made.   Dr. Gregorie showed us the MRI on a computer.  It was fascinating (well most stuff technological is fascinating to me).  He could switch from one vertebra to another up and down Jim's spine.  The triangular area inside the spine was mostly clear except for between the 3rd and 4th lower vertebrae.  In that section it wasn't grey or dark grey, it was black.  Actually it was rather scary to think that Jim's nerve endings were trying to live and breathe inside essentially no space.  The soonest the doc could schedule surgery was 3 weeks away.

Once this appointment was made Jim stopped 'sucking it up'.  I got to see just how much he had been compensating for his poor back being so arthritis ridden.

  A couple weeks back I was getting worried about getting to the hospital by 6:30 am in the snow.  The hospital is in Sayre, PA, about 50 minutes drive south through the back of beyond from our house.  I searched on the internet and found only 2 motels in the area.  Both were rather high priced for just sleeping time for two nights - the night before and the night after.  However Cathy C's niece has connections so we got reservations at an extremely reasonable rate.  Turns out this was a great plan as we were expecting 4-8 inches by Monday night.  Cole, our pet/house sitter came over earlier than planned to get a snow blower lesson and we took off early too so we could drive in the blowing snow in mostly daylight.

This morning was the day.  The promised snow had not arrived in Sayre but it was 12 degrees and very windy.  We got up about 5 and to the hospital by 6:25.  Jim was taken in quickly and I was told he was in the operating room by 8:45.  I brought some hand dyed (by me) and hand spun by Jim mahogany bfl/silk cable plied into a 6 ply yarn to make him some toe up socks.

  It's like a prayer shawl.  I knit and send love at the same time.  I plugged in my earbuds to listen to the latest Chet & Bernie story and knit knit knit.  Did I mention how nice and helpful and friendly just about everyone was?  Well, it was a positive peaceful experience sitting there waiting and praying and knitting.

Somewhere around 10:30 Dr Gregorie came out to report that all was very well and that he thought Jim would be walking by this evening.  He said Jim would sleep for another hour and then be taken up to his room.  About 12:00 one of the volunteers suggested I put all my stuff behind her desk and go have some lunch as the Inn was rather full at the moment and it would be another hour before Jim's room would be ready.

That I did.  We can leave out the quality of the food in the hospital cafeteria.  I will rant on this subject another day.  Suffice to say the amount of salt and healthiness of the food offered is way behind surgical techniques.

Finally Jim was taken up to the 7th floor where he was encouraged to walk from his bed in the hall to his bed in his room. Being still a bit woozy he made it just fine with a bit of help and remarked that for the first time in memory he did not have shooting pains down his legs or lightening bolts in his back when he sat up and lied down.

And for the big show