shh…
Don’t tell my husband I’m posting. He took Alex to the playground (in mittens, a hat and a warm coat) so I could be doing school work. Want to know what I did? Actually, I undid this:
then did this
until it looked like this:
Koigu deserves better than what the sock was becoming - too big, too loose, and I kept thinking, well, I can just felt it. But really, that is a cop out. I’ve got a bunch more mitred squares around. I think I will sew them up all together and make myself a funky version of “on the moon.” A girl can’t have enough fancy tampon holders, can she?
staying warm
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Thanks to my perfect, brand new, sock pal socks. The fit me like a glove, and are keeping me extra warm today. Thanks Mia! |  |
I am also kept warm today by my fantasticly warm alpaca/wool shapely sweater. When I tried to take a picture of it to show off for you all, it came out looking like this:
Well, it kind of looks good on me in that photo, but you can’t see the sweater. Proving I am nothing, if not dedicated to my craft, I took the sweater off, and photograhed it for you on the floor, sans shapely me.
I took two photos and quickly put it back on. Now I am nice and warm again.
An update on the warm the children project, one vest is done, which neither child will try on, let alone consent to wear. Alex says “no, that Cate’s” Cate says, “No way, that’s Alex’s.” I think the new answer will be, “this will be donated to charity.”
For the good of all
Up until now, my knitting has been a vain pursuit, dealing entirely with my own pleasure. Knitting is my one remaining way to be completely hedonistic. Case in point? My current work in progress is a silk & alpaca corset. If that doesn’t scream bacchanalia, I don’t know what does.
But you don’t need Bob Dylan to tell you that the times, they are a changing. Between the forecast at the Farmer’s Almanac and dire warnings about sky rocking heating bills this winter, I’m cold already.
We’ve decided to keep our house 4o colder this year. A 4o difference may not seem like much to you, but I’m hoping it will make all the difference when offering my children hand knit sweaters to put on when the say “I’m cold.” If I have to drop it to 6o to make them ask for hand knit hats to wear while watching Miss Spider, then by golly I’ll do it for God and Country.
I feel like a pioneer, who spent too much time cleaning up my flower garden and not enough time chopping down firewood. All luxury projects are now banished to the UFO box. Bye bye camisole, see you when the mitten drawer is overflowing. Adios brown alpaca shawl, see you when the hat hooks are weighted down. Ciao hand spun shawl, you knew you were a backup project so you won’t mind waiting till I’ve finished a few pairs of fuzzy feet.
My family needs my hand knit goodness, whether they know it yet or not.
Overheard at the office …
GWB is Harriet Miers’ Dyke Tyke.
Dyke Tyke is the male equivalent of the Fag Hag.
WWYHD?
What Would Yarn Harlot Do?
On the needles: TWO Elizabeth Zimmerman shawls! One is a Pi shawl (in the round) out of my feeble attempts at home spun, on size 9 needles. There is no end to this project, I knit up what I spin, it will be ugly, it will be chunky in some parts, thin in others, and it will never, ever leave the house.
The other shawl is the Pi Are Square shawl from Knitting Around. In Peruvian Tweed on size 6 needles. This is a mindless project, I just have to remember two yarn overs, every other row, then keep track of garter ridges. As I just increased for the 24th ridge, I don’t have to think about it again for another 48 rows. This is stash busting project - as the yarn has been taunting me for three years, it was supposed to be a vest for DH, but it is too soft to hold up to anything so solid. I must have cast on for 10 different projects over the past three years, trying to justify the purchase. Nothing seemed right, until I thought of the shawl and BAM, perfect.
In the past couple of weeks, I’ve knit up a hat & mini-clapotis with a twist for Cate, and a warm ribbed hat for Alex. I’ve been biding my time, running to the mailbox everyday to check for the Cinnamon Andean Silk yarn so I can cast on for Silk Corset I yearn for.
But the yarn isn’t here yet and I need something new between my fingers. Do I keep working on the shawls or do I throw caution to the wind, cast on for something new, and throw that aside when the new yarn shows up?
Yep, the Yarn Harlot would cast on for something fun tonight. I’m off to raid my stash!
I did my weights today.