Done.

Next.

Repetition

I wasn't surprised when I opened the Spring issues of Interweave Knits and Vogue knitting and found big features in each on lace knitting. After all, it's the Spring issue. But it was kind of weird when both mags had big feature articles on Kitchener stitch. It's funny how that happens in knitting- I remember once I designed a sweater in blue and white with the word for "peace" in many different languages knitted in. A few months later, Dale (I think it was Dale) came out with a sweater in blue and white with the word for "peace" in many languages knitted in. It wasn't exactly the same (of course) and even the concept must have occurred to us both independently since they must have had it already in production when mine came out, but it was a very weird coincidence.

Of course, sometimes repetition isn't a surprise. I just found out that a dear friend at work added a baby to her family and I wanted to whip out a baby sweater over the weekend, so I don't want to design something from scratch. What did I come up with? Yep, Zimmerman's 2-needle sweater (aka the February sweater) with a solid body rather than lace. (It's a boy and while I think gull lace is fine for a boy, especially in blue, there are those who disagree, and I don't know where the baby's parents fall). I have to get out of the Zimmerman baby sweater rut, but it's fast and almost automatic by now and I usually have something on hand in the right gauge... and if it ain't broke, as they say...

Pictures

So I finally took a few pictures of the Noro scarf-gave up on my photographer so I did them myself, which is why they aren't great- but you get the idea. I'm about halfway through the brighter more "girly" one for me. Waiting to see if I get the Brown Sheep cotton fleece I bid on at ebay to finish the baby sweater. Other than that, working on some design ideas I want to submit (so I can't talk too much about them) and trying to focus my limited design time by prioritizing where I want to submit things- I don't have time for everything! I'm also looking into buying an appalachian dulcimer, because I don't have enough to do in my spare time (snort)

Knitting frustration

So I had decided to use Cotton Fleece for baby-to-be Olivia's Elizabeth Zimmermann 2 needle sweater. Seemed like a skein would be enough yarn, but I took a look around Ravelry to see what other people's experience was. This was indeed a case of "your mileage may vary". I saw amounts listed for everything from one skein to two and a half! But of course, I tempted fate. I have one skein, and I bought it at least 3 years ago, so while it's still available, the dye lot will no doubt be very different. And I got... 2 inches from the end, and ran out. Yep. Now, I have a lighter shade of green, and I could have used that from the beginning for the yoke and the border and been sure I had enough, between the 2 skeins, but did I? No, of course not. So, now I go to place an order for another skein, cross my fingers that it won't look ridiculously different, and work on my Noro scarf for myself for now...

Olympic Knitting

So I finished the Noro scarf on Sunday - exactly one week; pretty fast considering it's more than 6 feet of knitting on size 7 needles. I was pretty sick of k1p1 ribbing by the end, but the colors are so mesmerizing I ordered superbright colors for my own version. Pictures to come- my personal photographer hasn't been around in a while. The whole point of knitting it, in fact, was to get some good knitting backdrop pictures for my website. Once those are done, the scarf will go on to its new owner- the photographer's brother, in fact. It's a surprise- and I mean a real surprise; it's not a birthday or occasion of any kind. Those are the best kinds of surprises. Now, I'm once again snowbound at my mother's house (it's a lot easier to get to my job from here when it snows) and I have 2 projects with me; the baby sweater for a friend and the brighter scarf for me. And while here, I received a box of yarn from Webs for the next project- love love love it, but can't start that project here- can only look at the yarn longingly. Anyway, knitting progresses; pictures to follow eventually...

A knitter's candy store...

I took another trip "overseas" today to Brooklyn General Store for more yarn... ahhh. I love that store. You have to know what you're looking for- the awning over the door says "Frank's Department Store"- luckily I'd seen a picture of the storefront on the website so recognized it- but once you get inside, knitter heaven.

Actually, I shouldn't say that- one knitter's heaven has nothing another wants. But it's the kind of place I go into and almost hyperventilate, because I get overwhelmed with wanting EVERYTHING. Lots of beautiful yarn, Rowan, Alchemy, Noro, Morehouse, Manos, things I'd never heard of, plus buttons and felting supplies and fabrics and fabric paint- sigh. And all kinds of beautiful ribbons, and even European knitted tights (a little randomly, admitted, but I got some last time and needed to get more). When I arrived, there was a (sewing) pattern making class going on in the back- they have tons of classes and I only wish I lived close enough to make that more do-able. Then again, if I lived closer, I'd be even deeper in debt.

Don't get me wrong; no store has EVERYTHING, and this one definitely has a specific market, with certain colors and fibers predominating- it's not terribly huge so they have to be selective, and luckily for me, my taste and theirs seems to coincide. The only thing I'd change (and there's always something, isn't there?!) is that some areas are not well lit; for example, lower shelves, and since I have trouble seeing color anyway, that can be an issue. But it's a minor consideration and easily worked around.

All in all, I look forward to a trip there as though I'm five and going to the toy store, though it's definitely a test of my self control (budget? what budget?) I'm so glad Jared Flood (BrooklynTweed.net) pointed me in their direction- if you're ever in the neighborhood, definitely stop by... (and no, I'm not a paid spokesman!)

Some of the booty

Nothing gold (or purple) can stay...

Well, the gloves were received with great appreciation which of course makes it all worthwhile.

In other notes, I received some skeins of Koigu KPPPM years (and years) ago from a dear online friend. I loved it but struggled to find projects worthy of the skeins- it can be hard to think of something that will be more beautiful than some yarns are, just in the skein. I finally decided to try a pair of socks in the dark purple, but as they were planned for a man with rather large feet, I worried that the 2 skeins would be insufficient, so I searched around online and hunted down some more skeins. Now, it's true, we as knitters know colors change from dye lot to dye lot. This is a bit extreme however- you can clearly see in the photo that the 2 original skeins are dark purple, while the 2 newer ones (which aren't that new since the color appears to be out of production) are far far lighter. Okay, THAT won't work. It's okay, in the meantime I ordered some sockweight Noro to make striped socks (and some more Silk Garden to make myself a Noro striped scarf- this yarn is knitters' crack).

In the meanwhile, though, I dragged out my old knitting machine to see if it still works and used the old purple KPPPM on that- and discovered that a. the machine works; b. it can handle fingering weight yarn and c. the yarn has all kinds of breaks and hair thin spots in it- see all the tiny balls I had to wind from one skein?! I don't know if it's just that skein (fingers crossed!) or if it has anything to do with it being in storage so long (and I don't know how long it was in storage in my friend's stash before she gifted it to me) but I doubt it helped. So let me encourage you to USE those lovely eye-candy skeins and don't just let them languish in a basket looking pretty- you may not be able to get more if you need it, and sitting in the skein might not be good for it. Like the good china and the nice lingerie- USE IT, don't save it for some mythical perfect day....