Knitting Ewe

KNIT NEW HAVEN!

2009-11-11T12:19:00.019-05:00

Knitters, Crocheters, and Spinners rejoice!

New Haven has a beautiful new yarn shop!

It's so new I able to snap this picture of their sign being put up on my way into the shop.

What I loved about Knit New Haven:

This wall:

A wonderful selection of primarily high yardage worsted weight yarns. At first I thought it was all Cascade 220, and was delighted to realize that they also have Berroco Ultra Alpaca. I love both of these yarns. The various colors of Cascade 220 make me think it is time for a felting project.

#2) More yarn to explore:

Since I was looking for sock yarn I did not explore all of the other yarn. I am so excited to have a local yarn shop that is worth exploring!

I purchased two balls of a subtle self-striping yarn. I was looking for a yarn that Gale, a fellow New Haven Stitch and Bitcher, had mentioned. However, I could not remember the name.

As I was leaving the shop I stopped to take a picture of the lovely little spot at the front of the shop.

And there it is! The yarn that I was looking for is in the bowl on the table.

I returned the other yarn (sorry I cannot remember what it was), and bought this skein. I was catching up on Cast-On the other day and Brenda was describing this yarn she bought at fiber festival. I just couldn't picture what she was talking about. When I got home and took this picture I realized that this was the yarn Brenda had been describing. I cannot wait to go to Stitch and Bitch tonight and see how it knits up. I am going to do a simple stockinette sock and enjoy the yarn.
(Did you notice the spinning wheel by the chair? Julia spins. They are going to have a drop spindle class in the new year - and plan on offering wheel classes as well.)
Congratulations to everyone at Knit New Haven - you have a beautiful shop!
They also have a ravelry group: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/knit-new-haven

Knit on Knit New Haven!

Knitting with Narcolepsy

2009-11-10T19:41:00.001-05:00

Check out this blog:

www.knittingwithnarcolepsy.blogspot.com

A New Look .... For A New Start

2008-12-03T17:23:00.001-05:00

Hello out there ...... to anyone who may remember that I used to blog. I needed to step away for a while, .... and then just a little longer .... and now - dramatic pause - flip of the hair (okay, I have short hair) - so - glasses pushed firmly onto bridge of nose with right pointer finger -

I AM BACK!

I have to admit that I have not been knitting much over the past months either. I am now making progress on the needles. I have a pair of socks in one of my favorite patterns in one of my favorite sock yarns. Since they are a gift that is all I can say about that until they have been given.

I have also made quite a bit of progress on The Cardigan For Allena (which is exactly like the Cardigan for Arwen - but that isn't my name). The only thing holding up completion is all if the Kitchener Stitching .... and the sleaves which were knit long ways with short-row shaping - this is the ONLY time I may be minimally grateful to have petite arms. However, I absolutly must have it completed by THE knitting event of the season - The Sit 'n' Knit New York City Holiday Party!

Speaking of which there is obviously something in the works from my stash for the gift swap. Oh, it is tons of fun, read all about it here. Anne-Marie is so good at explaining things where they still sound fun after all of the details. I highly recommend this style of exchange for any knitting get together swap.

I am working on a very special project right now. More about these very special hand warmers later.

KNITTING EWE ON THE GO IS BACK!

2008-03-01T21:39:00.002-05:00

I have started making my small knitting project bags again! Once again, Alison Hansel was the inspiration when she posted the bags that she had made with The Knitmare on Elmstreet fabric.

And don't worry Sock Monkey fans, all of the Sock Monkey fabric is still available.

I had a love/hate relationship with blogger ALL day and here is:

www.knittingeweonthego.blogspot.com

Gettin' stuff done!

2008-02-17T18:22:00.013-05:00

A while back, what seems like a lifetime ago, Forbes Magazine came to Sit 'N' Knit New York while doing an article about Meetup.com. Long story short, a picture of me with the name tag that I designed and knit based on the Meetup.com logo appeared in the April 23, 2007 issue of Forbes in an article about Meetup.com. So .... I got it framed. It came out WAY BIGGER than I expected, but hey, why not go big?

It didn't photograph so well. That's me in the bottom right hand corner of the page on the left. I will fully admit that it is an extremely unflattering picture. The caption reads: "Hooking up: Meetup's Scott Heiferman (top) and knitting group member Allena R. (with full ridiculously long Polish last name).

I have been slowly getting ready to re-launch Knitting Ewe On The Go. Today I finished the first "Tester Pancake" aka prototype of the Knitting Ewe On The Go Knit Kit. The idea is to create a kit that will contain all of the basic notions. Perfect to take with you on the go or keep things together at home.

Here is the inside. The left-side pocket currently holds slip n' snips and a tape measure. It was hard to photograph, but you can see that there is also a large pocket behind those pockets. The notebook that you see on the right will be replaced by one which is slightly larger.

There will also be other notions in the pocket behind the notebook as well. Most likely handmade stitch markers, a row counter, and ... If there is anything that you think that the kit needs PLEASE let me know!

There is a zippered pocket, large enough for a 7" Double Pointed Needle.

I cannot be the only knitter who has lost a DPN while knitting away from home and wish that they had an extra along with them. Well, as long as you remember to put an extra in your kit...

Oh, and the Melanshawly is really knitting up beautifully! I have 12 of the 15 repeats of the 8 row pattern complete. Since it increases every round each round has been taking a little longer than the first, but I am currently in love with my Melanshawly.

Super Sunday and The Melanshawly

2008-02-03T18:14:00.000-05:00

The Yarn Garden, in Meriden, CT, had their annual Super Bowl Sale today. In honor of Super Bowl XLII, all yarn was 42%off. I actually shopped with a pillow case (provided by the shop).

I did go prepared with several projects that I want to knit this year. I was able to find yarn for two of them.

Yeah, there are A LOT of little balls! Those are 19 balls of Jo Sharp - Luxury 8 Ply DK Pure Wool in Lilac. I plan on using it to knit Marcel's Sweater by Veronik Avery from my new favorite knitting book - The Best of Interweave Knits.

The second project that I hoped to buy yarn for is a shawl that I want to knit for me. We had a conversation at Stitch and Bitch New Haven, a great group that I knit with twice a week, about having hand knits that you wear specifically when you are not feeling well - both physically and emotionally. Somehow this morphed into the idea that I HAD to knit myself a shawl in a melon color - so that it can be my Melanshawly. Get it - melancholy - melonshawly!?

Anyway, I searched and searched for the perfect shawl pattern and finally decided on Knitspot's Wind-o-the-Moth Shawl. When I saw the Louet Gem's Terra Cotta, I knew that I had found the perfect "melon" colored yarn. I took the plunge and bought the four skeins even though I need 6 or 7, certain that I could find more on-line. My good freind Google - with the yarn name and dye lot - found more here.

I met up with a few of the ladies that from Stitch and Bitch New Haven at the sale. After we had our purchases we went to a friend of Katy's house and knit on his enclosed porch. I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to start my Melanshawly with such wonderful company while sitting in actual sunshine!

Check out the awesome ornament that my Sherry Godmother sent me for Christmas. I still have to find a place to display her in my apartment, but I cannot imagine only putting her on a tree once a year. Her skirt is even hand knit!

And Knitting Ewe on the Go will be up and going again soon!

Holy hyperlink Batman, she's actually blogging!

2008-01-13T16:12:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it has been a while since my last post. Alright, the Red Socks were in the playoffs during my last post. Moving to a new city and starting a new job has taken a lot out of me - mostly my joy and enthusiasm. No, it hasn't been THAT bad, but I have just been too exhausted to blog.

So, without further ado, here is my 2007 year-end review (that I had planned on doing before the year ended.)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, FROM ALLENA

Just about everyone at work put their family Christmas cards up on a bulletin board. A few were just of their dogs. This got me thinking about making a Christmas card. I got as far as this picture. I love it. Even though it may need this caption (think The Far Side).

"Allena realized that her Christmas Card may not increase her chances of finding love in 2008, but she knew she would be happy knitting, spinning and sewing anyway!"

This picture contains most of my highlights from 2007.

First, I need to pay tribute to the ornaments on my first fake tree. My grandmother Elizabeth did incredible needlepoint and embroidery. Every year she made Christmas ornaments. Now I have 25 beautiful handmade ornaments.

Except for the one on the top. "The Ballerina Pig", is a bit of a family joke. I don't know why, but my mother HATES pigs. Not actual pigs, just stuffed animal pigs, pigs on mugs, the pig on a tractor figurine I got for her at a truck stop in Texas, etc. So, of course this means that people are often giving her obnoxious pigs. I don't know who, but someone gave her a set of pig Christmas ornaments.
I cannot remember all of them, but "The Ballerina Pig" was always my favorite, probably because my mother hated it most of all. I was honored to receive the most hated pig - so thought it deserved the top spot.

My mother may HATE pigs, but she loves camels. She bought herself this little tree just for her camel ornaments.

The rest of 2007 ...... coming soon!

Be a doctor, or just .....

2007-10-25T22:45:00.000-04:00

... wear the scrubs that are "designed" by someone who plays one on T.V.

I find THIS very strange.

What do you think?

KNIT NEW HAVEN - WONDERFUL NEW YARN SHOP

2007-10-22T18:16:00.002-04:00

I wrote a post, a long time ago, about something that doesn't even matter anymore. It caused some "trouble", so I deleted it.

All that matters is that KNIT NEW HAVEN is a wonderful new yarn store in New Haven, CT.

You can read more about my lovely visit to the store HERE.

While I was there I bought this yarn:

I have spend a lot of time over the past couple of days in Doctor's offices, and this yarn has been an amazing comfort to me. I will post a picture in a few days when I write my post about my adventures in Boston.

BLOGGABLE

2007-09-27T22:40:00.000-04:00

Every now and again something happens - and even while it's happening - I think - THIS IS BLOGGABLE.

WARNING: This story will be told "Allena Style" - A 15 second interaction will be drawn out with (a lot) of "interesting" but unimportant information. I feel the need to write a warning, but there is a reward if you make it to the end!

Last Saturday unexpected rain set the stage for a small impromptu knitting with the group that I knit with, Sit 'n Knit New York. I was the first one to arrive at 590 Atrium, and was minding my own business, and truly LOVING what I was knitting.

Details of what I was knitting are necessary here so that you understand how much I was enjoying myself.

The Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy Sock Yarn in "Happy Forest". I bought this yarn from Wool Girl as my reward for finishing my 154th Monkey Bag and starting My Hiatus. It feels great, has amazing subtle hand dyed variations that give it amazing depth, and kicks Colinette Jitterbug's sorry little skein with 450 yards. I LOVE this yarn.

The Pattern: Embossed Leaves from Favorite Socks. I have been wanting to knit these for a while now and what could be better than Embossed Leaves in Happy Forest.

The Cast On: I came to the realization that due to my flat feet, socks with short row heels do not fit. This realization came with the desire to find a cast on that I liked for cuff down socks. I found THIS (f-bomb)ing tutorial for a magical tubular cast on. In order to work it in the round, I just joined the provisional cast on and worked 4 rows of purling in the round. Knitters - just knit the little tutorial. It will blow your mind!

Since I was waiting for other knitters, I was probably looking around more than I normally would, but I was really enjoying working the cast on of the second cuff. (I had placed the first aside so that I could work the socks two at a time using magic loop.)

(Oh, Penelope, I know I said that you were crazy to knit from both ends of your yarn ball when knitting socks two at a time, but I was wrong - you are brilliant. Working from both ends is so much better than two separate balls!)

All of a sudden a voice from behind me says, "You shouldn't be knitting right now, you should be on a treadmill."

I turn around to see a slightly older than middle age man sitting at a table behind me. Sitting with his feet up on a little plastic stool (that he must have brought with him), and an Amigo type vehicle parked behind him.

"Excuse me?" I squeaked.

He repeated himself. "You shouldn't be knitting right now, you should be on a treadmill."

Then I said something lame like, "Well when I work out I work out, but right now I am knitting."

And he felt the need to keep talking and said, "Well, Just as long as you do both."

What?!!!

The first thought that went through my head was, "But I don't have any rhythm. I'm not like Penelope (who knits on the exercise bike). I can't do one thing with my hands while my feet are doing something else." (Which is something I will have to work on to learn to spin!)

Next, this thought screamed in my head:
"Who the f-bomb do you think you are talking to (fill in your favorite expletive here). This is New York City and I am knitting with Knit Picks Nickel-Plated Fixed Circular Knitting Needles - in Size 2. This admittedly chubby girl that you are saying weird a$$ $hit to is holding two very sharp sticks!"

Then I thought, "Bloggable, totally bloggable!"

But I was way to excited to get to the part of the cast on where "the magic happens" that I could be bothered. My knitting saves lives!

Oh, and of course, I told everyone who showed up to knit the story. Tawana gave a great summary of our time knitting together - with pics.

I am getting film developed tomorrow (you remember film - it's what you have to use while your digital is on the fritz) and then there will be pics of the Bohus' progress and surgery - and my misadventures during the first night with my wheel.

If you read this entire post, and post a comment of what you would have said, I will give you a one dollar bill the next time I see you. (I will be at the Spin Out this Saturday and Rhinebeck for the Saturday). Ask Anne-Marie, she'll vouch for me, your will get a whole dollar!

Oh, and as far as I know, even though I haven't been able to make my big announcement yet, doesn't mean I won't be able to make it ..... soon I hope. GRRRRR to slow HR Departments!

MAMA'S SO PROUD!

2007-09-22T12:58:00.000-04:00

How is this for a small knitting world:

Nicole, an awesome girl I knit with, went to Austin, TX.

I told her to check out The Knitting Nest. A new shop that literally just opened. I know about the shop because the AWESOME owner Stacy, bought 10 of my bags to sell in her shop.

Nicole went to the shop and took this picture: Those are my bags! In a shop, surrounded by some really nice looking yarn. Nicole bought the lime polka dot one (hiding in the back). Assuming that Stacy is displaying all of the bags that she bought - that means that at least 6 have sold!

Mama's so proud!

Birthday Post!

2007-09-15T23:38:00.000-04:00

Today, September 15, is my 30th Birthday!

I had a wonderful lunch with my knitting friends and then saw Across the Universe with my roommates. As a thritysomething, single woman I would like to say that there is much more you need in this world than love - like great knitting friends for instance.

I will have some BIG news in a few day - along with a new blog to chronicle my adventures as The Sinister Spinster! (I got THIS wheel for my birthday!)

Jag älskar min bohus, men hatar min kamera!

2007-08-26T14:32:00.000-04:00

I LOVE MY BOHUS, BUT HATE MY CAMERA!

I am on chart row 40 of the yoke of my beautiful Blue Shimmer Bohus pullover - and my camera is not working. My camera is actually on it's way to Nikon to see if it can be fixed and for a cost that will not exceed its actual value.

I will describe some of what I have knit. (I did get a disposable and at some point there will be pictures)

I wanted to do hemmed edges rather than ribbed, here is what I did.

I started with this provisional cast on, which I love. I will give a crisp $1 bill to the first person who can prove to me that the provisional cast on from knittinghelp.com is possible. It is the one video of the most brilliant knitting website that I have determined to be some sort of prank.

Then I knit in stockinette for 5 rows in the main color, imagine the lightest blue that you have ever seen in a clear sky.

I also wanted a picot edge, so over the even number of stitches I:

k1, *[yo, k2tog] repeat from * to last stitch, k1 (this is the row where you turn the hem).

After knitting another 5 rows, I pulled out the provisional cast on while picking up the stitches on a separate needle. The pattern called for increasing on the first row of the yoke after the ribbing so I alternated between knitting both the original stitches together and separately with the provisional stitches to join the hem and increase in the same row. I did get some help from Nona.

Since there are no pictures I will leave you this link - it "speaks" for itself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww

56 DOWN AND BOHUS TO GO!

2007-08-02T18:19:00.000-04:00

Since I created a blog that would allow people to create their own Commemorative Sockapalooza 4 Sock Project Bag I have:

- Sewn and shipped 56 bags.

- Increased the price of the bags to $15 plus $2 for shipping.

- Sold 5 gift certificates.

- Received payment and begun sewing a batch of 20 bags.

- Have a second batch of 19 who have all been e-mailed to expect their invoices around the 8th of August and for their bags to ship around the 15th of August.

- Have a third batch, currently with 13 bags, which I notify customers as the orders come in that their invoices will arrive around the 17th of August and bags will ship around the 27th of August.

- And not to count my Monkeys before they .... are actually paid and sewn ... may have sold 10 bags to a customer in Austin, TX, who was so thrilled with the two bags she received she wants 10 to sell in the knitting shop she is opening in September.

Including the shop order, that's ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOUR bags!

Feeling as though I may never have time to knit again, I decided to pick a project where I could learn new skills and knit MYSELF something beautiful - to wear to Rhinebeck.

I have chosen the Bohus Blue Shimmer.

My plan to wear my beautiful Bohus Blue Shimmer at Rhinebeck is already in action.

I called School House Press today and ordered THE Bohus book:
Poems of Color by Wendy Keele
"This beautiful and historic book is available once again. Wendy Keele thoroughly researched the topic of Bohus knitting in Swedish museums and with some of the actual Bohus knitters; she even persuaded Emma Jacobson's heirs to release the closely guarded instructions for these amazing works of art. A book of truly lovely designs that we can now knit ourselves."

I knew I needed to by a kit to knit this sweater. School House Press recommended MaryJo of Stage Coach Yarns. She hand dyes all of the yarn to match the original Bohus designs. She has some kits ready to ship, others you might have to wait a week or so while she dyes the yarn for your kit! I know this because I called her today - such a sweet woman - and took it as a sign that she had a kit in the Blue Shimmer ready to ship and ordered one.

During my Bohus Googling, yes Bohus Googling (say it out load, you have to laugh!), I found Susanna Hansson's site. I was linked there by a blog that was raving about her Bohus workshops. A quick search of Susanna's workshop schedule that she would be giving a Bohus Workshop at WEBS on September 30th! I have given myself Susanna's workshop to myself as a 30th birthday present (I will be 30 on the 15th of September). The workshop is not even posted on the WEBS website and it is already almost full.

My plan is to have the sweater completed up to the colorwork by the workshop -although Susanna sells kits for wristlets at the workshop to knit a little Bohus - and to have the sweater completed by Rhinebeck.

That is, if the monkeys don't kill me first!

My Top Five Blue Things

2007-07-19T13:54:00.000-04:00

OF ALL TIME! (totally stolen from High Fidelity)

#5 - Blue Jeans - What would we wear without them?

#4 - Blue Satin Sashes - (My Favorite Things - The Sound of Music)

#3 - Blue Cheese - You have to love a visible mold that tastes so good.

#2- Blue - The Joni Mitchell Album with the song All I Want with the line
"I wanna knit you a sweater"

And the Top Blue Thing of All Time

THE BLUE BLOG

Thank you Alison!

Where are you on the Ravelry wait list?

2007-07-17T09:45:00.000-04:00

You can now check to see where you are on "The List" for your Ravelry invitation.
I love the title they gave the page to check your spot.

http://www.ravelry.com/antsy

I would say that antsy is a pretty good descriptions of how I am feeling!

Here are my stats:

You signed up on June 4, 2007
You are #6386 on the list.
575 people are ahead of you in line.
11136 people are behind you in line.
32% of the list has been invited so far

CRAZY!!!!

Aren't they cute?

2007-07-15T17:07:00.000-04:00

Here is the second batch of Sockapalooza 4 Bags, all ready to be packed and shipped:

I told the third batch to stand up straight!

It has been so much fun to see all of the different combinations that people have made! Yes, I am having a lot of FUN!

Don't you want one? Just go to http://www.sockapalooza4bag.blogspot.com/, and create a bag that I sew just for you!

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!

2007-07-12T19:32:00.001-04:00

On Tuesday I launched http://www.sockapalooza4bag.blogspot.com/ . Using Sockapalooza 4 themed Moda Funky Monkey fabric I am letting people choose their own fabric for their bag. I started selling them at $10 and then realized that $12 was much more sensible (and profitable). I posted about it here and on the Sockapalooza 4 pligg. In less than 48 hours I have sold sixteen bags!

Okay, I was going to tell this whole story (yes, Anne-Marie, there is always a story), but I have bags to sew and I have a feeling there may be a lot more bags to sew! Because Alison, of The Blue Blog, author of Charmed Knits: Projects for the Fans of Harry Potter (which I own), the whole organizer of Sockapalooza 4, bought one of my bags! I sent her the invoice like everyone else and then e-mailed her to ask if it was okay if I blogged about her buying one of my bags. She not only said that I could blog about it, but she said that when she gets the bag she is going to blog about it!!!

I think I am going to need more fabric!

Hey Sockapalooza 4 Knitters - CHECK THIS OUT!

2007-07-10T19:20:00.000-04:00

Hey Sockapalooza 4 Knitters, and knitters who love a cool project bag, check this out:

www.sockapalooza4bag.blogspot.com

You get to choose from 10 fabrics to create your own commemorative Sockapalooza 4 project bag!

The bag is completely reversible. These pictures are of opposite sides of the same bag.

The sides measure approximately 7.5" high by 20" around.

The bottom is 5" by 5" square.

Every bag gets 30 inches of 2mm silk wrapped red elastic cord with a black plastic double stop.

And did I mention that they are only $12 - including shipping? Better order soon, the fabric will run out eventually!

Knit on the Fourth of July

2007-07-04T20:18:00.000-04:00

I have been meaning to knit a sweater for RedSweaters.org. I decided that the Fourth of July was perfect. I realize it is simple and small, but a finished object in about 90 min. (I am a slow seamer) is preaty cool! Oh, and you don't sew in those two ends - there are used to tie all of the sweaters together.
I have a ton of extra Red Heart left over, so if you want to knit one let me know and I'll give some "Heart".

Of course there's a story...

2007-06-30T21:04:00.001-04:00

... there's always a story. This one ended with me returning to New York today. I think this post card I got at the airport on my way home sums it up for now: There are some really good bits to my time in Richmond, most involving yarn and knitting ... I will fill y'all in real soon, ya here - ma'am.

MY DAD!

2007-06-17T17:57:00.001-04:00

An empty martini glass, his favorite "desert" cat on your shoulder , and a Country Curtains Catalogue .... That's My Dad!

If I can every manage to explain to him what a blog is maybe he will visit someday. He looks good for 72, but has only just learned how to use the frog (what the rest of us call a mouse).

Even bigger news!

2007-06-15T19:09:00.000-04:00

Today I became an aunt for the second time! Both Mommy and baby are doing fine, oh and my brother the Dad is also well. Ashley Nicole was born at 12:43 p.m. She weighs 7 lbs and 8 ozs. and is 19 inches long.

Whoo Hooo!

2007-06-13T22:00:00.000-04:00

(WARNING - POSTING WHILE SLIGHTLY INTOXICATED)

I GOT A JOB TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's an 8 week travel assignment at Bon Secours, St. Mary's in Richmond, Va.

I am replacing an employee who's last day is next Friday. I want to get there as soon as I can to have as much time training with her as possible. However, there is a lot to do, between now and when my flight leaves JFK at 9:05 AM on Tuesday.

1) Tomorrow I am getting a FED EX am delivery of a package which will include numerous forms to sign (one even needs to be notarized), and specimen collection containers. I will have to fax certain forms along with photocopies of CPR certification and ARDMS ID card. All original forms need to be sent back in a return FED EX envelope.

2) Take the PATH to Hoboken get on the 1:10 PM train to Middletown, NY. My mother is picking me up and taking me to a Doctor's office in Monroe to fill the specimen containers so that a lab can confirm that I have all the necessary titers and that even though I blog while intoxicated I don't do drugs. And have a PPD planted to make sure that I don't have TB.

3) Witness the birth, okay, no, be in the same building while my sister has a scheduled C-section. I am going to be an aunt again earlish Monday morning. My sister-in-law's one request is that John (nephew extraordinaire - soon to be BB - shoot I need to find him the t-shirt) be the first one to see the new baby! Well, firstish. I think this is super sweet.

4) Go back to the Dr's office on Saturday (yes they are open on Saterdays) to have the PPD read to make sure I don't have TB.

5) Go back to the city and ......

It's going to be a freak show - with me as the main attraction. Don't be surprised if you don't hear from me until I am in Richmond.

Oh, but look what I found on Yahoo yellow pages!

That's right 4 knitting shops in Richmond alone.

And fabric, check this out!

Yep, 16 fabric stores, in Richmond!

Of course I have my priorities in order! Right now I am blogging while drinking this:

PINK CHAMPAGNE - Don't worry Dan, THE BEST ROOMMATE EVER HELPED.

Okay, I do need advice on what is the best way to get my sewing machine to Richmond. I am thinking I might have to carry it on! Advice?

To all of my New York knitting buddies ... I will miss you all. If my apartment/long-term hotel has a top loading washing machine - the felting IS ON!

Yeah, I'm it, I'm it!

2007-05-29T20:17:00.000-04:00

Okay, so this blog tagging thing is going around. Thank you Anne-Marie for tagging me!

I found the "rules" on Chante's Blog.
Rules:
1. Each player starts with 8 random facts about themselves.
2. People who are tagged write a blog post about their 8 random things and post the rules.
3. At the end of your post you need to tag 8 people and post their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

I tend to be a little bit of an "over sharer" so I will try and censor myself .. a little. But, I am going to use lots of pictures - didn't Anne-Marie look cute on the Cat Chow box?

1) My mother's parents both worked for Aramco in Saudi Arabia. My grandfather, Paul, was recruited as a Petroleum Engineer and my grandmother, Elizabeth, as a Nurse. They met there, fell in love, got married (all my grandmother had to wear was her best dress - it was black!), my grandmother was fired, had my mother, and they became the first westerns to live in Abqaiq (pronounced Ab Cake), Saudi Arabia. I believe the picture on the left was taken on their wedding weekend on Bahrain Island. You can read the whole story in Chapter Two of this book.

2) From the time I was 6 months old until I was 27 months my family (Dad, Mom, older brother Paul) lived in San 'a', Yemen. My father was the Military Attache at the American Embassy. We were "evacuated" when the hostages were taken at the American Embassy in Iran. I say "evacuated" because my mother, "just didn't see why we had to rush, we were leaving soon anyway!" This is a truly random fact about me because I do not have a single memory of my time in Yemen.

#3) I was raised by a retired military intelligence officer turned onion farmer and a teacher in a very small town just northwest of New York City. Pine Island, New York, is mainly drained swamp land. The soil is so rich, it is black - and actually quite beautiful. It is hard to believe that this place exists less than two hours from New York City. It is a great place to visit in the fall if you have kids - all of the trucks and tractors, and it is really close to orchards for fruit picking.

4) I graduated in 1999 from Skidmore College with a Bachelor of Science in Theater with a concentration in Acting!!!!!!!??????????? A Bachelor of Science just means you have more credits in your major, but it also just makes it sound like B.S. I miss the way acting used to make me feel, but by the time I graduated it just wasn't worth it anymore.

5) Since graduating from college I have lived (in this order): Newnan, Ga - Atlanta, Ga - Danville (Bay Area), Ca - Sacramento, Ca (which I fondly refer to as the Albany of California) - back home to Pine Island - Boston, Ma - and now in Astoria, NY. Astoria is by far my favorite.

6) I moved to New York from Boston to complete a 15 month Ultrasound program. I have been looking for an Ultrasound job seriously since passing the ARDMS registry exam in February. (There were two tests - one in Physics and one specially, I took general abdomen). It has literally been going nowhere, but I DO NOT WANT TO MOVE again. So, if you know anyone who works in a Radiology Dept. anywhere please let me know. It just seems to be the sort of job where you have to know someone to even know that a job exists - in NYC anyway.

7) When I lived in Sacramento (how I even got there is a long story) I got a job for an Event Planning company called, The Fun Company (save your jokes, it gets better). The Fun Company provided the services for LARGE company picnics. We would bring all of the BBQ equipment, carnival games, bounce houses, etc. We serviced the entire west coast from Oregon to Mid Texas. In order to get the equipment to all of these places I learned to drive stick on 30 foot 30,000 lb truck. I am 4' 11" - I had to drive w/ a pillow behind me in order to get the clutch all the way in - you do a lot of shifting up and down the mountains of Washington and Oregon. Oh, and I had to wear this t-shirt (this is the back):

8) My favorite appliance is the Sharp Warm and Toasty. It is a microwave/toaster oven in one unit. It king of freaks me out - there is metal in the microwave - but it cooks veggies like you wouldn't believe! Also, in the summer you can cook without using your huge, heat creating oven. The warm and toasty comes a close second to my Melitta 1:1 coffee maker - it makes coffee a cup at a time, in less than a minute!

I tag Gail, Kris, Cindy, Judes, Senora Fuerte, Kristina, and Jen (with the best blog name ever), and Brian Williams.

And don't forget to check out my Etsy store: www.knittingewe.etsy.com

Better Early Than Late!

2007-05-26T20:03:00.000-04:00

I am please to announce that my Etsy Shop is now open!

www.knittingewe.etsy.com

In case you were wondering, THIS is the big project I have been alluding to over the past couple of posts. If you have any suggestions - or god forbid notice a grammar, syntax or spelling error - please let me know

It's funny to realize that choosing and cutting the fabric, finding notions and cord, sewing, falling down, were the easy parts.
I would like to introduce you to the difficult lady of the process:

Lucy - the Knitting Ewe on the Go

I created Lucy with the cunning use of rubber stamps, scanner, photo editing software, printer, a black sharpie, and my kitchen table. Putting a push light on the wire rack under the glass top made it the perfect tracing table. Considering I do not draw - Lucy is pretty great. Special thanks to Penelope, the skate board was her idea. Dan, the best roommate EVER, was that voice that everyone needs during a creative process. The voice that says things like, "I really can't tell what that is suppose to be."

Lucy is a very useful ewe.

I used her to make this button (which is also on the sidebar of my blog):

It still needs a little work.

The banner for my shop:

Banner Maker Pro 6 was the perfect tool for the button and banner - they also have a 15-day trail period.

She will also appear on the tag that will be attached to each item. Lucy on the front with care information, etc. on the back. I also made business cards so that I can give them to people when they ask me about my "lovely handmade bag".

I am going to be creating a special limited edition - available by special order only - Sit 'N Knit New York - bag. How special? Well, I ordered the silk screen printing kit today. The first will be raffled on World Wide Knit in Public Day.

WOW, I DID IT!

Lucille Clifton

2007-05-22T22:52:00.000-04:00

I listen to WNYC all the time. I listen on-line via Itunes Radio. During the day I listen to FM (93.9) and in the evening, when the FM station plays classical music I switch to AM (820). I was listening to News and Notes this evening when the host, Farai Chideya, introduced me to the amazing poet, Lucille Clifton. This is my new favorite poem:

wishes for sons

i wish them cramps.
i wish them a strange town
and the last tampon.
i wish them no 7-11.

i wish them one week early
and wearing a white skirt.
i wish them one week late.

later i wish them hot flashes
and clots like you
wouldn't believe. let the
flashes come when they
meet someone special.
let the clots come
when they want to.

let them think they have accepted
arrogance in the universe,
then bring them to gynecologists
not unlike themselves.

Let me hear an Amen! Yes, this is my new favorite poem.

Laughing without making a sound

2007-05-17T17:39:00.000-04:00

My Mom loves to laugh, she just doesn't make any noise while doing it. She laughs by smiling really big and shaking, really hard. I have to say that during my acting days this made her a bad stage mother. I love it when she really gets going. Her face gets really red, tears roll down her cheeks, and she generally looks like her head might blow off. This is very hard to describe in a positive way, but I love my Mom's laugh! The only times it ever bothered me were when she did it in public during my obnoxious teen years. In retrospect, my favorite time was when she "laughed" for a good five minutes when my dentist told her I would need to see an Orthodontist because of my "small mouth".

Several years of braces and retainers later my teeth are okay, but my mouth is still small (and my Mom still laughs whenever she hears this). This is my excuse for often biting off way more than I can chew. I am postponing my "Big Reveal" until Sunday, May 27th. I just want everything to be a little more "perfect" than it is now. May 27th also holds special meaning for me. Four years ago this May 27th I survived a major medical procedure. Now, May 27th will also be the anniversary of ........ Can you feel it? Suspense?!

Big Ouch - So Worth It!

2007-05-14T21:38:00.000-04:00

I have a really big project in the works - all will be revealed by Friday, May 18. I had a list of six places to get to in about 4 hours. My first stop was The Ink Pad. I was walking along minding my own business when this old lady punched me ... okay, I tripped over a curb. I didn't cry, but I wanted to, especially when I saw my pants!
I hobbled into the little convenience store/cafe on the corner where I bought some band aids and asked for a wet napkin. I felt really bad for the people sitting at the tables, but I had no choice but to grab a chair and clean myself up. My right knee is really bad - and my right palm is bad, but could be worse. I decided to continue with my day, and I am so glad I did. I even managed to stay on my diet. I passed this by while still teary eyed from my kiss with the concrete.

Look what I found at The Ink Pad!

I couldn't have even imagined anything more perfect. Totally worth the skinned knee! Can you feel the suspense of my big reveal building?

The rest of my day went by without injury. and I even made it to M & J Trimmings before they closed. I was literally their last customer of the day.

I am now clean and bandaged:

Despite my wounded hand I got a good deal of knitting done while riding the subway today. I am almost ready to start the heel of my second Pomatomus. The yarn is Sundara's redemption from her previous offerings. I am absolutely in love with the April offering of her Petal's Collection, the Dahlia.

You're right Penelope, there's light at the end of the yarn ball! (Yeah, I just linked to Penelope's long awaited blog for the first time!)

Here are two more teasers before the big reveal:

I want to give a shout out to Chante and the awesome bat of roving that I bought from her Etsy Store, Harlem Purls. My package arrived in the mail right away and I love the complimentary stitch marker that came with it. I love the color, which was true to her posted photo, and as soon as I have time that drop spindle of mine won't know what spun it!

I've got work to do - big reveal in less than 4 days!!!!

Knitta Sock Exchange!

2007-05-07T14:24:00.000-04:00

Here's a little slide show of the socks that were exchanged at Sit N' Knit New York's secret sock exchange. Sorry that I wasn't always sure who had knit and who had received which socks, but I did my best. Here's a tip, after the music starts you have to hit the play button and you may also want to drag the speed to the slowest setting. If you liked the song you can download it here. Enjoy!

Make your own | Click to play

SSHHH, I have a secret!

2007-05-04T16:29:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow, my knitting group, Sit N' Knit New York, is having it's sock exchange party. I'm ready! This is all I will reveal for now ...

No Caribou for you, me, or anyone else!

2007-04-30T16:34:00.000-04:00

Update Since Last Post: I called Ardor Health this morning to let Jennifer know that Leslie never called me on Friday for the interview. She called me back at about 3:00 this afternoon (the 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. wait was ugly) to let me know that Leslie no longer needed an Ultrasound Tech in Caribou.

With hands thrown up in the air in a pose of "Why - Why!" I am trying not to submit to the overwhelming feelings of self-doubt and defeat, but it is getting really hard.

Instead I will share some of the things that have made me smile over the past few days.

1) I have completed just short of 12 of the 17 pattern repeats of the first half of the center panel of my Blind Assassin Stole.

Reason Number 314 of why I love to knit: Waiting is no longer done in vain. Regardless of my disappointment in not having a job I do have something very beautiful to show for my fret filled weekend. I love this stole. The Silk/Cashmere looks and feels wonderful. I also feel like a little fairy knitting with the triple zeros. There is one (okay 12 so far - eventually 34) bit of Wabi Sabi - one stitch in each pattern repeat is suppose to be a slip, slip, slip, knit 3 together - I have just been knitting 3 together like the stitch 6 rows below. Its okay, its the Assassin's Wabi Sabi.

2) My wonderful roommate Dan found this hysterical cartoon, Unicorn Planet. You can watch the first two episodes here. Dan and I especially enjoy singing the theme song. (Heyyy!) The episodes are really short and stream right over UTube - you won't regret it.

3) I was annalysing my account with blog counter and found this link in my "Top 30 Referers" - http://www.google.fr/blogsearch?hl=fr&q=sundara%20cherry%20blossom&lr=

Which brought me to a query done on Google: Recherche de Blogs. It was a Google Blog Search site - in French. After a Google search of "Google blog search" I found "Google Blog Search." I think this is pretty cool - and since my French is tres mal, it's a good thing I found the English version, right sisterjaan?

4) I had a wonderful time spinning with Tawana, Hila, and Tomo, from Sit N' Knit New York's spinning meetup on Sunday. It is so wonderful doing something that you are truly bad at with people that you truly like! Oh, not to worry drop spindle of mine, I will master you yet!

Tomorrow I am going to buy a new pair of "inteviewesque" walking shoes and begin planning my mission to bring - in person - my resume to every ultrasound department within an hour of my apartment. HEYYY! (If you watched Unicorn Planet you would have sung along with that!)

The Blind Assasin Stole

2007-04-27T15:53:00.000-04:00

I am writing this post as I wait for a phone interview for a 13 week job assignment in Caribou, Maine. Knitting needles are crossed.

According to Wikipedia - "The reindeer, known as caribou when wild in North America, is an Arctic and Subarctic-dwelling deer (Rangifer tarandus)." I have been having an extremely hard time finding an Ultrasound job - how great would it be if a reindeer helped me get this job! Caribou, Maine is also not far from Montreal, which after a quick Google search appears to have many yarn stores! If I have to go Subarctic to work - much better in the Spring and Summer!

A while back I read The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. There is a story within the story which is told by a young man to his lover during their clandestine encounters. It is complicated, so I will just give the relevant detail. The location where the story takes place is known for their beautiful hand-woven carpets. The carpets are so intricate that they can only be woven by children - small nimble hands. The children eventually go blind because of the intricate work the carpets require. The value of the carpets are determined by the number of children who went blind while weaving them. I have begun a project that I will be calling: The Blind Assassin Stole. The pattern is the Print O' the Wave Stole designed by Eunny Jang. I decided I wanted to do the cobweb version. I ordered a cone of lilac silk/cashmere "yarn" from ColourMart Cashmere. This is why I call it "yarn". Okay it is literally thread. Luscious cashmere/silk thread - but thread. I ended up winding it triple - and although it adds another challenge to the knitting, it is worth it. (That is my favorite coffee mug - I got it this summer while on vacation in the Adirondacks at Blue Mountain Designs - it's hand thrown.)

Phone interview update: It is now 5:30 p.m. and I have not heard from Leslie in Caribou who will be interviewing me over the phone. I called Jennifer, my contact at Ardor Health, and she told me to hang in there, Leslie should be calling today. It is going to be a long weekend if she does not call today.

Eunny's pattern calls for size 00 needles for the cobweb version and I ended up getting size 000 - since I was able to buy them at my favorite LYS - Downtown Yarns. That's the size 000 on the left as compared with a size 1 on the right. I know it is crazy - but look how crazy beautiful it looks (and it's not even blocked yet)!

OOOH! AAAAH! It is worth it! And it feels so light and soft. I tried taking a picture while stretching it out with my hands but I cannot do it myself, I'll have one at the next update. Oh, and in case you were wondering this is going to be for me!

5:50 p.m.: Still no call - outlook getting dimmer.

I finished the Lenten Rose socks and gave them to a very pleased Allison.
I gave them to her before a performance of Transfigures at The Woman's Project. I couldn't get her to put them on there and since I haven't heard from her, I can only assume that they fit.

6:05 p.m.: Still no call - have started drinking!

Somewhere in Kabul....

2007-04-15T21:42:00.000-04:00

... my knitting is keeping a little girl's feet warm!

Two months ago I knit these Mystery Cable socks for Afghans for Afghans. A woman named Marsha took the socks with her to two schools she works with in Kabul, Afghanistan.

I just received this e-mail update from Afghans for Afghans:

"Marsha MacColl has returned from Kabul, where she distributed our wool socks to students at two schools operated by Afghans 4 Tomorrow. We can all be so pleased and proud of Marsha. She did a phenomenal job of conveying our messages of friendship, caring, and respect. Marsha creatively incorporated our socks in her English-language instruction, and we provided funds so she could purchase snack treats as part of a little celebration. Marsha distributed our gifts with tremendous personal attention and regard for both the students and the sock-knitters! The girls and boys were given the unusual experience of selecting what they wanted from the array of socks. These kids absolutely needed socks -- often their feet are bare when they remove their shoes in the classroom. Marsha kindly shared some larger socks with teachers and school staff, too.We'll tell you more about these experiences and provide some photos in the near future. Thank you, again, to all who responded to the needs of the Afghan Mobile Mini Circus and Afghans 4 Tomorrow. There are plenty of warmer and happier heads and feet now -- and all of our hearts are warmer, too!"

My heart is warmer too! There were tears rolling down my cheeks while I pictured a little girl picking out my socks! I read a great post on Knitting Knews a while back, that gave very valid reasons for not knitting for charity. It really made me think about why I enjoy it so much. I have come to the conclusion that the knitting is just as much for me as is for them.

I will smile often, thinking of those little pink socks on warmer feet in Kabul!

They are currently excepting items for the "Mother's Day Campaign for Afghan Mothers."
I am going to knit something and send it in honor of my mother as her Mother's Day present. (Mom, I doubt you are reading this, but if you are, promise to be surprised and honored, okay?)

My Sisterjaan and What's Knitting - A Post in Two Parts

2007-04-05T19:56:00.000-04:00

PART I - MY SISTERJAAN

My sister Amy (aka Amyjaan), is currently living in Doha, Qatar - a middle eastern country across the gulf from Iran. She is doing post-graduate study of Arabic at Qatar University. She is there on a full scholarship from a program that is facilitated through Georgetown University. Yes, she is majnoona (Arabic for crazy girl), but in the most awesome sense of the word. She doesn't like Doha very much, her actual word for it in Qatartid, but she says that her Arabic is improving and she has been able to do a lot of traveling. Recently she got food poisoning and a kidney infection while traveling in Turkey with her American boyfriend Tom(he came to Turkey from Chicago). Hilarity ensued Amyjaan style due to her one semester of college Turkish. I only got worried when she told me that at one point they had called in a surgery consult - she assumed in was her appendix, since the Doctor had done a lot of pushing on her left side. Being that the appendix is on the right side and that my sister's Turkish is not very good, no one knows why the surgical consult was called (if anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them). Just know that she is back in Qatar and must be feeling better since she just instant messaged me, while very intoxicated. The above picture was taken sometime before Christmas. She is wearing the Abaya that she is required to wear at the University. She actually loves it. It allows her to roll out of bed - throw it on over her pajamas - and go to class. (I love her so much!) She is holding her cat Oskar, who came to my parent's house with her for Christmas and ended up staying in New York. Oskar has the loudest, most annoying meow and eats everything - really, I watched him attack and eat a roll. He was abandoned at birth so he has food issues. Feel free to leave questions or comments on the blog for Amy -she will read them and will respond.

PART II - WHAT'S KNITTING
I finished the Pea Pod Baby Set. I am really happy with how it came out. Things got a little dicey with adapting the guage - chart repeats of the lace, number of rows, increasing the arms and decreasing the hat - but no one got hurt and I think it looks great! I felt like a real knitting ninja while knitting the arms two at a time magic loop style! The problem that I always run into doing two at a time is the way the two balls of yarn wind around one another - creating crazy knots. I solved this by putting each ball in a zip lock bag and unwinding every row or two. I think the thing that I like best are the "bobble instead of buttons." Now I don't have to worry about my knitting choking a small child!

I also have done some work on my Lenten Rose socks. They are the 30th birthday present for my friend Allison. She is 6 feet tall and her foot measures 10" from heel to big toe - so it is sort of on a dare that I am knitting her socks.
The legs are on the short side - due to my absolute paranoia about having enough of the one of a kind Sundara Petals Collection sock yarn. I turned the heel on the first one and was working my way down the foot when I decided that I should start the second to avoid second sock syndrome. I love the way the lace looks on this huge sock! I knit several chart repeats on the size ones that the pattern called for - but Allison couldn't get the few rows of cuff over her heal - so I frogged and am knitting with two's. Although this does allow for faster knitting it only increased my yardage worries. However, with only a few inches of the sock to go you can see that I will have pleanty of yarn. A note about Sundara Petal's Collection: I will not be ordering the next three month installment. I was generally disappointed with the Lenten Rose yarn - mainly because it did not match the tone of the flower that inspired the yarn. As for the Bird of Paradise - there is only so much love I can give to varigated dayglow pink, yellow and green. I only got angry when I saw the Cherry Blossom yarn that she did for Sundara Yarn's one year anniversay. It is so incredibly beautiful that it made me feel as though she really cheated the people who had paid more for the Petal's Collection. Even if SOCKATION 2007 didn't last long - it made me realize that there are a lot of things I want to knit and a sock club might just not be for me. Sundara's April better wow me though, because right now I am feeling really burnt!

stupid, STupid, STUPID!

2007-03-25T20:11:00.000-04:00

Last night, on row 58, as I started the underarm decreases of my Pea Pod Baby sweater, I realized that I had 12 too many stitches. I must have counted the stitches 10 times and could not believe that I kept getting 147 when I should have had 135. I put it on a long Knit Picks Options chord, set it aside, and used my stress relief device.

I just couldn't figure out how I ended up with 12 extra stitches. It must have been an evil knitting sprite who changed my knitting while I slept. I checked my numbers again this morning - just in case the good fairy had come and changed it back - but still there were 12 extra stitches. There was nothing to do but start over. I did leave the 58 rows on the chord - someday I will finish the sweater as a larger size, or I will need the yarn and frog it. After the 7th row of my "start-over" I realized my mistake. In the 3rd row of the ribbing there is a yarn over - in the 7th row you knit a section of stitches out of order and KNIT 2 TOGETHER. Guess how many times this happens? That's right - 12! Somehow during my first attempt I didn't do the knit 2 togethers. The only thing that is keeping me knitting is knowing how much faster attempt two will be with 12 fewer stitches in every row. That's 612 fewer stitches! WOW!

I did have a lot of fun at Sit N’ Knit Crochet today. Forbes Magazine is doing a story about Meetup.com and a reporter and photographer came to our meetup. Here is a picture of the photographer and Chante taking a picture of the Meetup.com themed name tag that I knit.

I am a HUGE dork ... and that is so cool!

2007-03-23T17:34:00.000-04:00

My day of "REPRESENTing" was perfect. I woke up in the morning and realized that my "Represent Hat" was still damp. First I ironed it... then I blew the inside with a hair dryer... then I just put it on my head and decided it was dry enough and the dampness would allow for perfect blocking. I have to admit that I was a bit confused by the whole hat thing. For some reason I thought that everyone was suppose to wear a hat to represent knitters who couldn't be there - it really was itching by the end of the day - but I had to keep it on because the hat head was ridiculous!

In the morning I took the train to Strawberry Fields for the "sock photo op." I met another knitter on the train, who told me about this must have t-shirt. At the park, we were interviewed by KAT from the knitting video podcast Let's Knit2gether. I also met Guido (2Skeins) Stein ,the knitting show host of the podcast It's a Purl, Man. He is a really cool guy. I just subscribed to his podcast and I am looking forward to having something new to listen to while knitting.

Here are all of our socks around the "Imagine" mosaic. Mine are the at about 11 o'clock, just outside of the large white "thing". I like to think John is pleased.

Here is Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, aka the Yarn Harlot, signing my copy of Knitting Rules. As she signed the book, I explained that my knitting circle had a contest to knit a name tag, and I won the book she was signing. She looked at me - with the admiration of a mother who just watched their child play a baked potato in the Thanksgiving play - and said, "I love knitters." Now, not to turn this into something that it isn't, but it was really great to have someone who didn't know me at all - see me.

Here's what she wrote.

In case you can't make it out it says, "To Allena - Obsession is normal. Stepanie Pearl-McPhee"

As people started to leave the park I realized that I had a voice message from Anne-Marie, the fearless leader of Sit N' Knit, New York. We had e-mailed earlier about me being the contact person for Sit N' Knit's reserved seats. Anne-Marie couldn't be there because she had just delivered "the future knitter," Anastasia Marie, on the 16th of March. Anne-Marie decided that it would be easiest if I just came by her apartment so she could give the stuff that I would need. It was so great to see AM(Squared). I even got to hold the "future knitter," and she is absolutely beautiful. Anne-Marie looked great, and seems to have adapted to motherhood perfectly.

From Anne-Marie's, I made my way to FIT to see the Yarn Harlot "Represent." It was a little stressful figuring out how Sit N' Knits reserved seats were going to work, but it was all worth it once we were seated in the front row.

Here's a decent picture of the crowd, but we did fill up the place. Special thanks to Wendy, for holding my camera above her head to get the shot. The red bags that you see were on each chair and contained size 8 Boyle needles, a skein of Patons SWS, and patterns to knit a square for Warm Up America! I ended up having to finish my square at home, but I am a big fan of the Patons SWS. It feels really soft, and I love the color repeats. I gave the leftover to Dan, I think doing a square will be a good way for him to recognize the difference the difference between knit and purl stitches.

Here is my failed attempt at one of The Harlot's sock shots. Believe it or not Stephanie is on stage behind that sock, but I realize that I might as well have taken this picture in a dark room. Special thanks to Judes for holding it out for me, unfortunately hers didn't come out any better... but her sock rocks enough for me to show the picture anyway. My picture of Stephanie on stage tuned out horrible, so I won't bore you with it.

To Be Continued.......

Speed Knitting for the Harlot

2007-03-21T21:54:00.000-04:00

I decided that I needed a hat to wear/donate for the Yarn Harlot Represent events tomorrow. I had yarn - so I knit, I knit as fast as my Knit Pick options would let me ... and what were 2 skeins of Cascade 220 this morning is now ...
The pattern , Center Square - Knitty, Winter 2006, called for decreasing 8 stitches every row for eight rows - but I was getting huge ladders and it didn't fit, so I ended up frogging back and decreasing every other row - and I think it is pretty cute! It is even worth the sore index finger! For any of you out there who cannot be there tomorrow - this cap is for you! I am so excited!

And so much for my Sockation - I will be going to Stawberry Fields tomorrow and I will be knitting socks.

SOCKATION 2007!

2007-03-19T13:27:00.000-04:00

I have knit and frogged and knit and frogged so many patterns with that Colinette Jitterbug, that I am taking a vacation from socks - a SOCKATION! I feel so free! I found out yesterday that my Sherry Godmother's (she's my Godmother, her name is Sherry, so she's my Sherry Godmother, get it?!) son and his wife had a baby boy - Henry Butler Tate ... so I cast on! I chose yarn from my stash that at one point was in various stages of becoming a cardigan for my Grandma Elizabeth. Since Grandma Elizabeth passed away before the cardigan was anywhere near completion, I frogged it - promising myself I would use the yarn for special projects. My Grandmother was very fond of my Sherry Godmother - having known her from her childhood - and I know that she is very pleased with my yarn selection. I am half way through the body of sweater from the Pea Pod Baby Set. The yarn, Zara Extrafine Merino, is small on gauge so I am having to knit the largest size in order to get a 3 month size, but it is worth it due to the sentimentality of the yarn. I am knitting bobbles instead of using buttons - on the same row as the button hole I am knitting a bobble on the opposite band. I am also doing the matching hat - so I might have to do a pair of socks, no booties, booties to match!
I am also about to start my first lace! I have chosen the Print O' The Wave Stole, designed by Eunny Jang. The yarn came in the mail today! I purchased two skeins of wool lace weight yarn from handpaintedyarn.com in Satin Rose.
It was only $5.95 for a 950 yard skein! I just wound one skein into a ball and I did not notice one single break in the yarn.

Oh, and not to worry secret feet, your socks are just a ribbing cuff decision away from being complete!

So much better!

2007-03-15T19:55:00.000-04:00

I bought a skein of Colinette JitterBug yarn yesterday. I love the colorway, castagna - it feels really nice - and I was excited .... until I had it in a nonreturnable ball and I really had to: The skein is less than 300 meters! None of my sock patterns call for less than 350! OOOOOH I WAS MAD. I left a message at the yarn store, even though they were closed to inquire about what could be done. Since nothing else could be accomplished until morning I took a while drinking a "Chick-a-lobe" and enjoying the wonderful aroma of my new Eucalyptus Spearmint Scentport refill.

The owner of Downtown Yarns called me this morning and was genuinely kind. She assured me that many people had knit a pair with the skein, just as the manufacturer promised. Well, lets clarify, Colinette says that you can knit the pair of socks on the back of their label, which is just a plain stockinette sock - not for me thank you. The women told me to start knitting and if I ran into any problems to please let her know. Downtown Yarns is now officially my favorite LYS in NYC.

Once my pity party ended I grabbed my Barbara G. Walker "A Treasury of knitting Patterns". I decided to stick with Chapter Five: Slip Stitch Patterns, since they would most likely use the least yarn.

For attempt one I knit the "Diagonal Weave" - after charting to be knit in the round, rather than flat I thought it look ... okay. But like most things in Bon Appetit I just don't want to make the whole thing - let alone two. So I moved on to the "Little Butterfly", and my And for the close up .... Oh, and special thanks to Blogless Penelope (hint, hint) and Chante for their advice. And thank you Necia for raging with me! (Oh, I'm knitting with size ones)

Should I be mad?

2007-03-14T20:34:00.000-04:00

I am really mad, but I want your opinion. At a yarn store today (which will remain un-named until I am able to see what their perspective is on this) I bought one skein of sock yarn. I know that I should have looked at the yardage, but they told me that one skein would knit a pair of socks. Actually one girl in the shop said it should knit a pair of socks and "a little something". I really love this colorway - and it is perfect for my secret feet - but the skein cost $21, about the amount that I would spend on yarn for a pair of socks. After winding the skein at home I was able to properly examine the label (the way in was stapled on the skein made it impossible to read all of the information) and came to two horrible realizations.

#1) It is only 267 yards/ 292 meters. This is not enough for a pair of socks.

#2) On a part of the label that I could not see until after I had removed it said:

"Colinette yarns are all hand dyed and therefore colours may vary from hank to hank to achieve an even colour effect it is essential to work with more than one hank at a time. Try working 2-4 rows from each hank, carrying the yarn up the side."

What? What? I cannot imagae knitting a sock this way! And it is not meant for a skein to knit a pair of socks - you need two skeins!

I called the store and left a message. I know that they don't take back skeins after they are wound, but I feel like these are difficult sercumstances.

What would you do, or expect the store to do?

Oh, the good news is I am not going the Texas, the bad news is I am not going to Texas!

(After two days of waiting by the phone, the phone interview never even happened.)

My New Roving Braid

2007-03-07T16:33:00.000-05:00

Sienna Miller has nothing on my new roving braid!

I bought it on e-bay from jenyalovesfiber. It is super soft and I cannot wait to see how it spins up. I like the name best, "Meadow in Springtime".

Paradise Found!

2007-03-07T09:49:00.000-05:00

After several horrid starts I have found the perfect pattern for the Bird of Paradise Yarn (Sundara Yarn Petals Collection - Feb.)!

The color repeats are working absolutely perfectly. If you look closely you can see that the crossed over slipped stitches maintain the same color across the row. These rows are also repeating in the same order. I think it is perfect.

I bought the pattern from Amelia Raitte of My Fashionable Life. It is part of a set of three. I recommend getting the set – all three patterns are great. What I have knitted here is the Badcaul. I tried the Nautalis, but the yarn is too busy. The sock is knit toe-up with a short row heal. This is the first toe-up sock that I knit – I like the pattern so much that I have used it as my template when converting leg-down to toe up. Below two useful links for casting-on.

1) Tutorial for cast-on using 2 circulars: Turkish Cast-On
2) Tutorial for cast-on using 4 double point: Cyber Socks

Let me know if you want my trick for avoiding the horrid whole that often occurs as the join in heel and instep stitches on a short row heel.

Wabi-Sabi Wasabi ... in Space!

2007-03-04T09:29:00.000-05:00

As every knitter knows mistakes happen. Much of the joy that I get from knitting comes from the fact that a mistake only needs to be noticed to be corrected. It often happens that a mistake is not noticed until hours or even days of knitting will be lost in order to correct the mistake. I heard a Japanese phrase that allows me to leave some of these mistakes - Wabi-Sabi. Wabi Sabi is the Japanese aesthetic that true beauty is found in imperfection.

Wikipedia defines Wabi-Sabi as: (in Kanji: 侘寂) represents a comprehensive Japanese world view or aesthetic centred on the acceptance of transience. The phrase comes from the two words wabi and sabi. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete". It is a concept derived from the Buddhist assertion of the Three marks of existence — Anicca, or in Japanese, 無常 (mujyou), impermanence.

I heard a story this morning about a Wasabi mishap on the International Space Station. Wasabi is a very spicy green horshradish used primarily in Japanese cooking. According to the AP this is how it happened:
The spicy greenish condiment was squirted out of a tube while astronaut Sunita Williams was trying to make a pretend sushi meal with bag-packaged salmon. The three space station crew members are given a certain number of bonus packs of their favorite foods to help endure their months in space where most meals are the equivalent of military MREs.
Since everything is weightless, spilled food is no ordinary clean-up challenge.
'We finally got the wasabi smell out after it was flying around everywhere,' Williams told her mother this week in a conversation arranged by Boston radio station WBZ. 'We cleaned it up off the walls a little bit.'

So next time you decide to frog back several day of knitting remember this: It sure beats scrubbing Wasabi off your walls! Or the next time you see a mistake and decide to let it go you can look at with a new perspective, and say proudly, "Wabi Sabi!"

When a good day/yarn goes bad! (Is it as bad as I think?)

2007-03-01T18:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I received a call from a potential employer! I have been looking for a job as a Medical Sonographer for a really long time. I recently passed my last exam to become a Registered Diagnostic Sonographer and things are starting to look up. The gentleman was calling from a company that does short term (13 week) travel assignments. They have amazing benefits and this would be the perfect way to get my resume the on thing it lacks – actual work experience as a Sonographer.
Today started out fantastic. I got my March yarn from the Sundara Yarn Petals Collection, and it is striking. It is based on the Bird of Paradise flower and I was really excited. Then with Dan acting as my swift I was actually able to wind the skein without any terrible knot wads. Then the gentleman from yesterday called and said that he had an assignment that was interested in me and he would be calling back in about an hour for a phone interview!!!
I was so happy! I wanted to be ready for the call so after doing a little research on the assignment I sat at the kitchen table – knitting with my new yarn. I decided to give the Fuego Socks that I saw on Chante’s blog.
How could this day go bad?
#1) I never got the call. I waited all day, doing nothing but waiting and knitting. I am very confused. I can only assume that if something sounds too good to be true or too many things seem to be going your way ….. the call may just not come in.

But why did my sock have to turn out like this?

I decided from the moment that I saw the yarn that I was going to use the yarn to make socks for myself. In honor of the colors they were going to be my "Austin Powers Socks". I guess I just should have stuck with the broken rib pattern that came with the yarn.

Please let me know what you think - I will have a prize for the person who can make me laugh the hardest at all of today’s possibility turned disappointment.

MYSTERY CABLES

2007-02-27T14:25:00.000-05:00

I realized that out of all of my 13 posts I have yet to post a work in progress. I started these socks yesterday, and they are really cool. The pattern is the Friday, February 23 and Sat./Sun., Feb. 24 & 25 from Paulette Lane and Friends Knitting Pattern a Day 2007 Calendar. The pattern calls for Cascade 220 and I am making them in a child's large for Marsha's Students through Afghans for Afghans.

Here is the completed leg. What do you think?

Okay, your thinking how your going to break it to me that there must be something wrong - but here is the mystery! It is knit inside out! Now that the cabeling in finished you turn it inside out - which is really outside out and ....
I think it is really cool! However, the socks need to be delivered by March 7th, so no more blogging, just knitting! (I can hear the intro to Cast-On with Brenda Dayne - "Knit, knit like the wind!") Wish me luck!

SEE DAN KNIT!

2007-02-25T21:32:00.000-05:00

I am teaching my roommate Dan to knit!

Here he is knitting his first rows!

Here he is frogging those first rows! (rip-it, rip-it)

On Valentine's Day we trecked through the newly fallen snow to get Dan yarn for his project at Purl in Soho. It had stopped snowing several hours earlier, but the roads were still a mess. This is why I love New York City; even when the roads look like this: you can still use public transportation to get to a yarn store! The first yarn that Dan picked up in the yarn store was a dark brown Rowan Scottish Tweed Chunky with flecks of color out of the 50% off bin. I suggested that he might not want a dark color for his first project because it might make it more difficult to see the stitches. His response was that of a true knitter- "Well I'll probably just get it anyway - it is on sale." Bless his knitter heart, he was about to start his stash before he had completed a single project. (I just hope that there is enough room in our apartment for two knitters!)
He did end up getting the Rowan and I think he is developing great technique, what do you think?

And here it is .....Dan's first finished project!

TA DA! ENTRELAC!

2007-02-21T22:50:00.000-05:00

I was so inspired by Judy's knitting on the Entrelac Socks from the new Spring issue of Interweave Knits I decided to give entrelac a try. I googled "knitting entrelac tutorial" and found a great tutorial -nice clear instructions, with great pictures. Here's what I have so far ....

I know the colors are bad, but I learned something new! I love my ugly little entrelac swatch!

MY MARINE'S "SOCKINGS" ...CONTINUED

2007-02-19T17:09:00.000-05:00

I just read my last post - oranges in the toes? What can I say? Hey, if you're reading this then chances are you have had moments of equal crafty insanity! Right? Anyway, I made Pomanders using clementines instead of oranges. Basically, I just stuck cloves into the clementines, working in concentric circles until the entire clementine was covered. I then left them on the kitchen counter to dry out. In about a month they were as hard as rocks - and smelled wonderful.

It made me very happy to picture my Marine opening his Christmas care package and have this wonderful aroma drifting out. I am sure that even the toughest Marine appreciates something that smells good in their foot lockers. The rest of the "Sockings" was pretty boring. Just basic goodies and some essential comforts. Looking back I now realise that I was hanging pretty far out on the hope that he would appreciate hand-made items.

In the first care package that I sent to my Marine I included a one-time use camera. He took some pictures with it and sent the camra back to me. I developed doubles, kept one for myself and sent the other set to him. I was so appreciative of the shot he got of himself wearing the socks. This is by far the best my knitting has ever looked!

Here is his picture. It was taken after he benched 350 lbs to win his units bench press contest!
Either it came to you right away or it is on the tip of your tounge .... it's Chuck Norris! Chuck Norris has found his way onto a knitting blog, pretty cool if I do say so myself!

MY MARINE'S FEET ARE SAFE AND WARM ... AND NOW THEY'RE COMIN' HOME!!!

2007-02-13T13:24:00.000-05:00

Last October I did something that changed my life. I adopted a Marine through Soldier's Angels. If you can commit to writing a letter a week and sending a care package a month - I highly recommend it. If you cannot commit to this for 6 months to a year - go check out the site, there are plenty of one time giving opportunities. I was very lucky in that I received several letters back from my Marine and we exchanged e-mail on a regular basis. My proudest moment as my Marine's Angel was when he was promoted from Corporal to Sergeant and talked about applying for an officer's program! Today was a great day too. I received official word that he will be returning home sometime in late March or early April (dates are kept confidential for security reasons)
The first thing that I knit him was a wool helmet liner. It gets very cold in the desert, especially at night. It is a really great pattern and since it calls for Cascade 220, it's relatively inexpensive to knit. If you want to learn to knit socks this is a great lead up project - it uses many of the same skills, but on a larger, easy to manage scale. I'm sorry for the scary head - it was my old roommate's, and the only model I had available at the moment. There used to be two of them, starring down from on top of the kitchen cabinets!
For my Marines Christmas present I really did out knit myself! In Interweave Knits Special Holiday Gifts Issue, they had a spread of some of their favorite things. As soon as I saw it I new I needed the American Red Cross Knit Kit for One Pair of Serviceman’s Socks!

It arrived in this really cute tin, which I now us for my knitting notions.

The tin contained one 4 oz skein of yarn, plastic size 5 dpns, a plastic embroidery needle, and the sock pattern that the Red Cross distributed in 1940. I just loved the idea of turning the same heel, of the same sock, of many of kthe nitters who have come before me. I also loved the idea of my Marine receiving the exact same sock as all of the servicemen that came before him. There was only one problem with the kit, the yarn was way too thin for pattern. I had to knit with size 5's in order to get gauge, but it just seemed too flimsy. Unfortunately I did not make the decision to double up the yarn until I had already turned the heel of the first sock! I had to frog the entire thing! The other problem arose after I had finished the ribbing of the second sock. Even though that 4oz skein looked like 3 times too much yarn - it wasn't even enough to complete both socks with doubled yarn. I called the Red Cross store to see if they would sell me just yarn, but no, I had to buy another kit. (It really was almost worth it for the cool tin, the second one holds my sewing notions!)Anyway, I had asked my Marine for his foot measurement, and the finished product was worth all of the frogging - and most of the hair that I pulled out has grown back in!

Now, for them to go from socks to "Christmas Sockings!" In theory I wanted to put oranges in the toes. Typical WWII era stocking would have had an orange in the toe. I don't want to think about what actual oranges in the toes would have looked like by the time they got to Iraq! - My solution in the next post.

.... to be continued!

"KNITTA PLEASE!" DOWNLOAD THIS SONG!

2007-02-12T22:29:00.000-05:00

Hey Knittas! Penelope from Sit n' Knit New York just posted this song. DOWNLOAD IT NOW! It is the funniest ever!

THE WORST ROOMMATES EVER .... AND WHAT THEY LEFT BEHIND

2007-02-02T20:36:00.000-05:00

My roommates have left, I have a new roommate moving in (who is great, and he is willing to let me teach him to knit!) I will let these pictures speak for themselves ...... (if I had audio it would be me screaming why, why, why!) The first picture will soon be my sewing and knitting room - you can look forward to an amazing before and after. I am actually excited they left that chair behind - it will be reborn as a great sewing chair!

I KNIT A WINNER!

2007-01-25T23:39:00.000-05:00

The group that I knit with, Sit n' Knit New York, had a name tag contest. I did a replica of the Meetup.com logo - basically the typical label sticker, with a red border.

I used yarn from my stash, it's just a few rows of 1x1 rib in red, followed by several rows of white in stockinnette stitch, and topped with several more rows of 1x1 ribbing in red. I did a row of single crochet all the way around - doing three stitches in the same stitch at the corners to round them. I then did another row on both sides - started at the bottom corner and then continuing in chain stitch in order to make it into a necklace.

Awards were given out in three catagories.

Judy won for: "The Compulsively Crafty: Handspun, handyed and handmade!"

The green background was knit and then felted , the "Judy" was needle felted on, and the border was done with some of Judy's own handspun yarn! She put it on the box that she uses for her knitting notions.
Amanda won for: "Just Because: Just because we all really like it!"

She didn't even make a chart or anything- it was free form! She crocheted it - and then felted it. She used her own cat as a model, but figured out all of the embroidery on her own. It really is beautiful and we all really like it

And I won for: "The Cleverly Creative: The nametag that surprises us all and makes us think, "Now why didn't I think of that?"

How To Prank a Two Year Old

2006-12-13T14:17:00.000-05:00

For my nephew's second birthday I knit a snake puppet. Anne-Marie from Sit 'N Knit New York, the group I knit with, suggested I make a companion and they would make great mittens. I felt that they would just be too big so I took my needles down two sizes and made matching mittens. I called it "The mama snake and her mittens".

The first thing that you need to know about my nephew is that he is obsessed with trucks and tractors. We were reading a book together recently and I was amazed when he pointed to a Cement Mixer and said, "Cement Truck!" When I found wrapping paper with Tonka Trucks on it I thought that it was perfect. I couldn't find a card that I liked so I just cut out a cement truck and Modge Podged it to a piece of card board.

I was so excited that when it was time to open presents he chose mine first?
He tore off the paper, threw out the tissue paper bundle holding the mama snake and her mittens, and turned the bottom of the box upside down. When his mom tried to show him the snakes he just shook his head and said, "NO! CEMENT TRUCK!" I felt like the worst Aunt in the world. Of course the kid thought that was on the outside of the box was going to be on the inside - isn't that usually the was it works? It would be like a significant other handing you that little black box and there being a pizza inside! I have already redeemed myself and ordered a Cement Truck for Christmas.

VIEWS FROM MY 'HOOD

2006-10-19T17:48:00.000-04:00

The Best OB in Astoria, NY.... after 12:00!

I AM AN ORGANIZED KNITTER....FOR NOW!

2006-10-14T20:25:00.000-04:00

First I organized all of my patterns. I am always re-printing patterns – such a waste, so I put all of my patterns in plastic sheets and put them in a three ring binder – thank you Hila for the idea. I even organized them by category and put articles and patterns from some knitting magazines that I had from the New York Knit-Out. It has been over a week, and I have to say … so far, so good.

I liked it so much that I did the same with all of my needles. I was a little horrified to realize the number of certain double points I have accumulated by not keeping tabs of my needles when starting new projects, but I think only one set was missing a needle – I think that’s pretty good. I also made a list for the front of the book and put a copy in my knitting bag. It has been over a week – and I haven’t had to buy a single needle, so again … so far, so good.

In looking for all of my needles I was forced to confront my stash. If it wasn’t for 5+ skeins of yarn I had meant for a cardigan it really isn’t that bad. I actually ripped some half finished projects, including the cardigan. I recently signed up for the second six months of the Sundara Yarn Petals Collection (it is now still open), and realized that I was going to have to find a way of winding it. I went on e-bay and got a Royal Blue Winder – really cheap.

I love my winder!

So my stash before:

And my stash after:

The Nana and Me Collection

2006-10-12T19:26:00.000-04:00

This is the first sweater I completed. I got the Pattern from Knitting the New Classics by Kristin Nicholas. It was knit in the round and had very little finishing. The neck was folded down on the inside and sewn down and there was a simple 3-needle bind-off under the arms. The yarn was a wool/alpaca blend, I don't remember the brand. I bought the yarn and got a little help at Mind's Eye Yarn. Mind's Eye is a wonderful shop in Cambridge, MA. It is a small shop owned by a wonderful women Lucy. She sells really great yarn including some she dyes herself. She offers group and personal lessons - Lucy is the reason I can sew I seam - including knitting and spinning. I gave the sweater to my mother for her first birthday as a Nana. Her first grandchild was born less than a month earlier.

When I finished the sweater I had enough yarn left over to knit another, in a toddler 2. I loved the idea that any of my mother's grandchildren would be able to wear a sweater "Just like Nana's".

I couldn't resist taking a picture of the "Nana and Me Collection" before the baby fit the sweater. I love his little foot sticking out!

Baudelaire Socks a.k.a. "Fried Green Tomatoes" Socks

2006-10-12T18:21:00.000-04:00

Here are my Baudelaire Socks from Knitty: Summer 2006. I gave them to my sister-in-law for her birthday and they fit perfectly! I did a wrap heel without the gusset - I wish I had a better shot of it - but it worked really well. I held my breath and didn't do the alteration for the high in-step.
I used Koigu which I bought at Purl in Soho, NY. When I bought the yarn and started the socks Mary-Louise Parker was there getting help with her knitting! I way too self-concious to ask her what she was working on, but I will always think of these as the "Fried Green Tomatoes" Socks.

The Knitting Ewe Premiere Post

2006-10-12T15:24:00.000-04:00

Okay, here goes .... I'm blogging!

I have been knitting for a long time. About six months ago I started using the internet for help and ideas. All of the knitting blogs have been so helpful that I decided it was time to start blogging myself. This is new and exciting .... let's se how it goes!