MDSW recap

Ok, the food will remain unmentioned as will the cup of gin at the Ravelry party… Let’s see how I did on my shopping list!

1. yarn for Alan for Bunny (worsted weight about 1,720 yards) [Nope, couldn't find anything that would work that cost what I was willing to spend on a child's sweater]
2. fair isle cardigan kit for me [Yeah me! I bought one from Philosopher's Wool. It's called Diamond Eyes Jacket. I'm excited and terrified!]
3. yarn to make Hemlock Ring for wedding gift (worsted 900 yards) [Brown Alpaca with a Twist, Baby Twist... photo below]
4. yarn for a girl Baby Bolero (aran/worsted 150 yards) or some other pretty quick baby project [Pink and Green Jamie Harmon hand spun, I'm thinking about Baby Bonnet... photo below]
5. solid or semi-solid sock yarn [Uh, yeah... Purple, Red/Pink, Blue, Orange, Red, ... photos below]
6. sock blockers [fail]
7. small bag for carrying socks in progress [fail]
8. wpi tool with card [fail]

I also bought some other things… so much for a list…

From Brooks Farm I bought a skein of Solos Silk (browns, purples, oranges) and Acero (very blue). From the Fibre Company I bought 6 skeins (three of each color) of some yarn that I forget what it is… it was their “show special” anyone have details for me? From Spirit Trail some of their Victoria for thick socks for mom. One skein of Socks that Rock (lightweight, knitters without borders), and some Koigu mill ends for baby socks!

Shopping list for MDS&W

Tomorrow is Maryland Sheep and Wool. I will be driving up with David Reidy… not really, but I’m driving up alone so the audio choice is mine, all mine, and I will be catching up with Sticks and Strings!

When I arrive, the plan is to meet up with others, shop, and eat! Here’s my shopping list, the eating list is best kept private…

1. yarn for Alan for Bunny (worsted weight about 1,720 yards)
2. fair isle cardigan kit for me
3. yarn to make Hemlock Ring for wedding gift (worsted 900 yards)
4. yarn for a girl Baby Bolero (aran/worsted 150 yards) or some other pretty quick baby project
5. solid or semi-solid sock yarn
6. sock blockers
7. small bag for carrying socks in progress
8. wpi tool with card

I scream, you scream

We all scream for ICE CREAM… It’s free/cheap ice cream week again!

Today (April 29) Ben and Jerry’s Free cone day

Tomorrow (April 30) Baskin-Robbins 31cent scoop 5 - 10pm

Bonus… knitting photos!

Anouk for Hanna’s first Birthday and a Thorpe for Dad.

Ravtails here and here. Other details soon!

Lima Peru…

As in, “What do you knit for someone moving to Lima Peru?”

Bunny’s teacher this year has admired his mittens so I figured I would knit her a pair for an end-of-year gift. Come to find out, she’s moving to Lima over the summer. From what I can gather, it seems mittens would not be very useful there… So, I need ideas? What to knit (pretty fast) for someone moving to a warm climate? Maybe I’ll knit the mittens for the assistant teacher, she’s staying here!

The photo is Bunny in National Airport waiting to leave on Spring Break. He’s watching They Might Be Giants Friday Night Family Podcast on my iPod (you have to look, just to see the knit Giants). On this trip we discovered the joy of iPod for child entertainment. Not only did he enjoy TMBG, but we checked a number of book/CD combos out from the library, put the audio on the iPod and he listened and “read” on the plane.

Of course the iPod was also loaded up with many knitting podcasts!

Why I knit in public…

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Not why I knit at Bunny’s Tae Kwon Do class or on airplanes, that’s for sanity preservation. That’s not that sort of knitting in public I’m thinking about. I have been thinking about why I blog about my knitting and why I post my projects on Ravelry.

I have come to the decision that it’s all about the praise.

Teaching, my chosen career, is by it’s nature pretty solitay. Those who don’t teach may not think so, but figure I spend most of my day trapped in a room with a group of narcissists. They are 11, they are supposed to care about themselves, that’s their job. While I think that if I suddenly passed out in class they would notice and try to do something, for the most part their concern for me rests on how much homework I will assign and when the next quiz will be. I have great colleagues, people to talk to about life and about teaching, but by and large I am the only adult in my vicinity for most of the day.

Teaching is also a profession with very little praise. There are no bonuses and in my school the evaluations have been few and far between. Parents are quick to let me know when I have done something wrong, much slower to do so when I’m doing something well. Sure there are parents who thank me, and those who write nice notes, but it’s usually at the end of the year.

So, why all this about teaching? I guess it’s to say that I don’t get much adult interaction or positive feedback on my teaching, so I put my knitting out into the world (blog, ravelry) in hopes of interaction and possibly positive feedback. You have no idea how my heart leaps when a new little heart appears on one of my projects in Ravelry or when I get a comment on my blog.

What got me thinking about all this? Well, Ravelraiser of course. If you are on Ravelry I hope you have heard of the Ravelraiser by now. If not, stop reading and go here. I’m getting ready to make my donation, but part of making the donation is posting why you gave. That got me thinking. What is it that I like (and am willing to pay for) about Ravelry. Sure the advice is great, the ability to get ideas and see finished objects, the chance to check out Julia’s stash when I think I might need something… but in the end, I think it’s all about the favorites for me. I love when people favorite my projects. It makes me feel like Sally Field.

That said, I have been terrible about choosing favorites of my own. Whenever I think about it I am filled with angst. How do I choose my favorite? I really have to get better about it, favorite projects when I see things I like or admire. Perhaps I have caught the narcissism from my students… Guess I better go mark some favorites, right after I make my donation!

(vacation photos provided to break up all these words)

Back!

We have been back almost exactly a week and in 10 hours our luggage will have been back a week as well… It was a nice cruise, with a number of new ports of call for us. Photos and details on that in another post, for now, how did I do on my knitting list?

1. Finish Turkish Pattern Hat for B (almost done) — done!
   
2. make a Thorpe for dad — did nothing, nadda, zip, zero
3. second Jacobean sock — made the toe
4. major progress on Bunny’s Tomten — see #2
   
5. Baby Bolero for Baby S — see #2
6. Anouk for Hanna (if the yarn arrives from Webs) — the yarn arrived, and I made major progress, got the front and back knit. Since we have returned I knit the neck band and started the first pocket.

A little more on the one thing I actually completed. The Turkish-Patterned Cap for B. The last thing I knit for him was a Dr. Who scarf in the late ’80s. This has a similar scale problem, but is out of much nicer yarn and shows a higher level of craftsmanship.

As I wrote on Ravelry, I am inordinately proud of this. The color work came out just right, the tension is perfect. This has made me consider other fair-isle projects! Unfortunately, it came out too long so B can wear it with the slightly puffed top look… ah well. Full details can be found here and on the Rav.

Spring Break!

By 12:30 p.m. today I will be officially on Spring Break! (Tomorrow and Saturday I prepare, Sunday we sail!) Time to plan knitting…

Spring Break Knitting Plan (Ravelry links)

1. finish Turkish Pattern Hat for B (almost done)
2. make a Thorpe for dad
3. second Jacobean sock
4. major progress on Bunny’s Tomten
5. Baby Bolero for Baby S
6. Anouk for Hanna (if the yarn arrives from Webs)

That should keep me busy! Of course I will take some other yarn along, just in case…

No more cold ears for mom…

Ever since I finished the Hebrides hat for mom she has made clear that she likes it, but would like it better if it covered her ears… She mentioned it again last week, so I thought I would whip up a Thorpe with some Lamb’s Pride I had on hand.

Fun quick knit, but the crochet (after a lesson from Ms. Frick) was killer on my wrist. I’m making another for dad, but I think I will try to make the bind off MUCH looser…

In other news, my first Jacobean is almost done! We leave for a Spring Break Cruise on Sunday, so I’m starting to think of my ship board knitting projects.

Sock

I started a sock on Saturday… You see I had been waiting to finish the dishcloths before starting a new sock and on Friday they were done. I also wanted to find the “right” sock for my return to sock knitting after the tragedy. I had joined the Sock Knitter Pentathlon not sure if I would participate or not, but it seemed that the planets were aligned and the competition was set to begin on Saturday, the very day I was ready to start sock knitting again. I read the guidelines for the first sock, solid or semi-solid with 8 stitches per inch. I went through my solids and semi-solids and there weren’t that many choices. I even swatched, and that narrowed the choices again… I went to sleep Friday night eager to see the pattern (that would be released at midnight) when I got up and get started knitting knowing I would be doing it on two 2.25mm circs with some Koigu I got at Thanksgiving.

I got up early Saturday, by Bunny’s choice not mine, and checked on-line. The pattern, Jacobean, looked nice, I even already knew how to do the cast-on so I set to work. I was pretty impressed with myself, and while I never expected to be the first, I never expected what would happen next. At 9:28am, after I had knit a few rows of a toe (and made French toast) I got the email that the first person had finished. Wow, clearly different people have different priorities. I don’t think I could knit a pair of socks in 9 hours even if I wanted to…

I’m happy with how my sock is coming along, I like the way the yarn looks, although I am finding the Koigu a little splitty and am not completely sure what the fascination is. Also, despite swatching I seem to be getting 9 stitches per inch, but they fit so whatever.

Grades are due on Thursday, can you tell I’m procrastinating by writing a blog post?

Fibonacci Baby Sweater

Well, the baby who was to be born to a math teacher and his Jeopardy competing wife on the mathemagical date of 3/5/8 was having none of the carefully laid plans. He arrived early Monday morning resulting in a much less interesting birthday of 1/25/8. No matter, the Fibonacci inspired sweater is completed and will be sent home with big sister today!

Full details are here, but the quick and dirty details are:

• Simply Knitted Baby Sweater by Cynthia Walker
• KnitPicks Shine Worsted in Grass and Sea Spray
• Star buttons purchased at G Street Fabrics in Falls Church, VA
• Attached I-cord aroud the neck using these directions
• Tubular cast-on and bind off using these and these directions