Em's Graduation

My oldest just graduated from the NAWCC School of Watchmaking. We are so thrilled for her. She was the only woman in her year and graduated at the top of the class. On the top left is a pic of Em and her Dad at the graduation dinner. Left to Right is Em and Ant with Bea (the three amici), Em and Bea, aka, the school Mom, and a pic of Em, Tom, and Ant, who couldn't resist hamming it up.
The job search is in full swing for all of them. Em has already weathered her first 2 day bench test at Tourneau and although she was offered a position, she has decided to explore further. After all, a girl's gotta eat. More pics and info about the graduation and the school: NAWCC

Em in Switzerland

Em Hard at work

November Knitting

Thanksgiving 2007

Knitting and Knitting and Knitting and Knitting and Kn....

It has been a busy month and one to remember.
I went to my second KR Retreat and loved every minute of it. I underwent surgery one day after returning from the retreat and found out that a dangerous appearing growth was nothing more than a harmless blob in disguise.
I quit smoking 2 weeks ago. I am officially a non-smoker. These are words I thought I would never say. J quit smoking today.
My daughters cooked Thanksgiving dinner together for the first time and excelled. I am a lucky girl. I would dearly love to write further on all of these topics, but I have literally lost two weeks because of the surgery and I'm trying to play gentle catch-up, instead of my usual frantic race to exhaustion. So instead, I will tell the tail in pictures, bad pictures, but pictures non the less.

KR Retreat 2007

What the Hell is that?

What, you may ask, is that garish picture on the right. Well, you see I'm an avid reader and one omy favorite bloggers/KR buddies had this little quiz on her blog and I couldn't resist. Rho, of course was something lovely like Watership Down. And as anyone who knows me, will attest, I love bunnies. I guess if I had thought this through, it would have hit me in the head with a 2 x 4 that my quiz wasn't going to produce anything so lovely as Fiver and the "brambly ditch". So you also might ask; why the hell are you keeping this overly intense, slightly lurid pic on my lovely blog. The answer is simple, I like what it says about my character. I'd like to think that I am the person described under the book cover. You might want to take the test. It was quick and fun. If you do, let me know who you are, in the comments.
Just to push all that green and black down a bit, I'm including a couple of wonderful shots from my first visit to New Mexico.

ENE and I have reconciled

These pictures look like a perfectly innocent scarf blocking and resting peacefully. Don't let her fool you. This scarf is the devil in disguise. She thwarted me in at least 10 diffierent yarns, 4 different types of needles, and numerous cast-ons in the past 18 months. I once got to the 50% stage, only to find that I was off center way back near the beginning. Why did Ene hate me? I have no idea. I know this is crazy talk, but sometimes my desire to produce a specific project is in direct proportion to how impossible that pattern becomes.
So, how did I do it? I kind of snuck up on her this time, with no expectation of a finished scarf. I caught every mistake she threw in my way and pushed all doubts from my mind. My hands were actually shaking while knitting the last ten rows! I know, I know, "nutjob".......
But at least I'm a persistant nutjob with an Ene scarf to keep me warm this winter.

Grape Soda Hegerows

I just have to use this color for this post and then I'm going out to buy a grape soda. Thanks Jane, the socks were lots of fun and they fit my daughter perfectly. They will be making a trip to Switzerland the first week of October. Maybe I can get Em to take some travel shots of "Hedgerows on the move". I'm afraid my attempt at artistic photography is a bit silly, but I do love that this is the first pair of socks that I've knit that are almost identical twins, instead of distant cousins.

Grape Soda Hegerows

I just have to use this color for this post and then I'm going out to buy a grape soda. Thanks Jane, the socks were lots of fun and they fit my daughter perfectly. They will be making a trip to Switzerland the first week of October. Maybe I can get Em to take some travel shots of "Hedgerows on the move". I'm afraid my attempt at artistic photography is a bit silly, but I do love that this is the first pair of socks that I've knit that are almost identical twins, instead of distant cousins.

Little Bits

I'm improving my technical blogging skills. Improvement, in my case, means I have graduated to pre-novice. I managed to combine some of the buttons with the links on the right, making sure to host the buttons on my own sites, of course.
Socks are now my focus. The navy pair in STR have grown and grown and are now only suitable for a Yeti. I think the needles I used were too large. I'm using some ShiBui sock yarn in a camel almost solid color to make another pair for J. I've started the heel flap on the second of Jane's Hedgerow sock pattern. There's something about the amethyst colorway from Fleece Artist that makes me thirsty for grape soda or a grape lifesavor.
I have finished the knitting for my all over cabled cardigan. Now to assemble it (yuk) and pick up a zillion stitches to knit the border around the entire edge of the sweater. This part will probably take me longer than the actual knitting.
Looking forward to my second KR Retreat in November and my trip to New Mexico in October. The Retreat will be a no-excuse time to knit, talk, buy fiber, yarn, tools and re-aquaint myself with some of the kindest, most talented, not to mention wacky knitters on the planet AND to meet some new fiber fanatics. Thank you Miss Clara. My trip to New Mexico is a belated birthday gift to a close friend for her milestone birthday this year. That's right folks, Lin turned 21. That IS how old you are Lin, isn't it? Neither one of us has ever been to the SW of the country. Believe me, it was hard to find an area other than maybe East Chicken Jesus, that Lin had not been. And just think, Lin will be able to have a cocktail. Funny that, I seem to remember her ordering cocktails before this birthday. Hmmmmm.
Hope to have pics of socks very soon. What else? I'm such a cliche.

Pre-blocked distant sock relatives
modeled on size 8 women's feet









Men's size 11 ribbed socks

NO APPLAUSE - PLEASE

Here's the proof. I did it. Actually, I did it twice. There is another which I wouldn't really call a twin, more like a close relative of this big guy. I know it doesn't look it but this is one big sock to fit James' size 11 foot. The yarn is STR in a semi-solid that I bought at least a year ago. I was going to use it for a baby sweater. Hah! It seems the sock knitting voices and James' desire to have a pair of hand knit socks took care of my resistance to knitting socks.
Jane's Hedgerow pattern has been designated to a different yarn. The Somoko just didn't do justice to the pattern. Luckily I have some Fleece Artist Merino 2/16 that will be perfect. The colorway is amethyst and it's really pretty dark. I'd call it a semi-solid. I also have Bess's twisted sock going in Spirit Trail sock yarn.
I'm off to Sunny climes to visit mom, who's just had shoulder surgery. I'm sure there will be lots of knitting in the waiting room of rehab three times a week. What am I bringing to knit? Socks, of course.

MS3 DONE and DONE

So, here it is, the much discussed wing and all. I'm frustrated with the pictures, but they'll have to do. There is really not a good place to photograph my finished work. I may explore the attic. The straight edges need a bit of steaming, but on the whole, I am pleased. This is the first time I've done lace with 2/18 Zephyr. I think when I use it again, I will go down in needle size. This was done on my #4 Options and I must tend to knit looser with this needle. The finished size is 22" x 84", which I think is larger than it was meant to be. The beads are almost a non-issue, except that they add weight and help the drape. I wish I had done it in a darker color. I saw lots of color and love the jewel tones and some of the tone on tones. I have to say I really dislike the variegated stoles. They just look so BUSY.
I think this will be my last Mystery KAL. There are so many beautiful shawls and stoles out there and I have purchased most of the patterns. I think I'll concentrate on what I know I will love. I've been working on Sarcelle in lace weight seacell in sangria colorway and the Waves in Squares or some such name by Sivia Harding in Lisa Souza BFL in poiple. No, that's not a typo.
I'm also working on my first socks. Yes, that's right socks. At the request of my husband, I've decided to learn how to knit what I said I would never, ever knit.

Almost Forgot

Where am I? I scratched the version you see in the pic below. I started with Vanilla Zephyr and size 4 Addi lace needles last week. I'm now on first part of clue 4, row 227. Scratch the Addi's. They started to turn my lovely vanilla a dirty wash water color. I was able to spot wash the area and switch to my KP options. I just have to be more careful of stitch slippage. Try to get some new pictures soon.

Curiouser and Curiouser

The Mystery Stole 3 KAL continues to roll along with the 6,000 plus members. Hard to tell just how many are actually knitting and how many are planning for a future knit. I have to say that the ones who are actively knitting are really, really, really committed. Not only do they produce a ton of posts, they have also come up with some pretty serious ways to try to get more information regarding future clues from Melanie. She just will not crack. She treats every question with respect and then goes on to tell them that she just cannot help them. I have this vision in my head of some of those questioners responding with the phrase "curses, foiled again". Their creativity and tenacity are admirable, but Melanie is a stone wall. I know I can't be the only one who is tickled by some of the questions, but I'm the only one who dared to comment. Stony silence is the only notice my post has attracted so far, which is probably a good thing. I, personally cannot imagine being so fundamentally opposed to using a life line, that I would have to be informed exactly why I was being instructed to use one, or I could not continue. These are some serious knitters in that group. There are also those that have a teeny tiny nagging doubt about the theme, who consistently point out that Melanie's other patterns are all lovely and tasteful, so they aren't worried one little bit. yeah right
I think the members that I admire the most are not only new lace knitters, but brand new knitters, period. I can't even imagine tackling something like this as a new knitter. But I suppose no new knitter ever had more generous help than these members. There are some extremely kind and supportive members who never tire of answering questions and cheering on those who have become discouraged.
All in all this is one of the most interesting group venture in which I've participated. Although, one could hardly call my membership as participation, considering my three measly posts out of over 10,000 since the second week of June. Another fascinating thing about the group is that it speaks over a dozen languages and has a group of volunteer translators. A little borg-like, if I really think about it. Resistance is futile! But then I never tried to resist.

CLUE ONE

What do you think? Here are the clues for the theme so far. It will only work exactly if the stole is knit in white, off-white, black, or charcoal. The only other hint we have is that it probably wouldn't be appropriate for bridal wear and it's not Harry Potter related.
If you look at Melanie's other designs, I'm pretty sure the theme isn't too dark. Could it be.......
sheep??? I'm stumped. I occasionally ask myself why in the world I would be knitting something when I have no idea what it will look like, or even what shape it will be. I don't have an answer, because I could just as easily belong to the group and save the clues until I was sure I liked the pattern. It seems extremely odd, but I guess 5,000 plus knitters from heaven knows how many countries can't all be nuts, can they? Oh, and as you can see, I decided to go with an entirely different yarn and color. I'm using 50/50 cashmere and silk 2 ply on #6 addi lace needles. One more thing; this is a stole, not a shawl, so it has to be somewhat rectangular! Will it be on the bias, will it change direction? I'll keep you posted.

COLOURMART MERINO,VISCOSE,CASHMERE 2/28
PALE BLUE 6.5 INCHES
3.25 ADDI LACE NEEDLES

MS#3

COLOURMART 100% CASHMERE 2/16 DARK NAVY
7.5 INCHES
3.25 ADDI LACE NEEDLES

TOO MUCH, TOO FAST

Since I last Posted:

I lost a dear friend to lung cancer.
I made a quick trip to Florida for my nephew's HS graduation.
My mother fell in the grocery store and re-injured her dislocated shoulder.
I attended a week long knitting extravaganza in Columbus, Ohio, sponsored by Knitter's Connection.
I re-connected with one of my first cousins on the way to Columbus.
I've missed 3 very important birthdays.
My face became the host for a nasty abscess, starting in a previously root canaled tooth.
I'm in an antibiotic, pain reliever, avoid all mirrors at any cost mode.
Today is my birthday.
I started an Orenburg shawl, finished the knitting on my cable cardigan, finished a Moebius lace cowl, and started another. I have a pinwheel baby blanket and baby sweater on the needles as well. (the cowl, blanket and sweater all mindless knitting) Just the thing for an "abscess head".
In reference to the classes that my mother and I took at the Knitter's Connection classes;
I learned that I adore Cat Bordhi and Galina Khmeleva
I learned to knit and purl backwards
I learned to do the Moebius cast on without thinking or looking
I learned the crochet cast on.....finally
I learned that I must knit an Orenburg Shawl
I learned so much about the fiber and knitting history of Russia

Conclusion: Life is this very moment. I may never get another, so I better make it count.

COMING UP NEXT WEEK:
My sister and family arrive and we are all going to frolic here for a couple of days, then off to NYC en masse to include our terribly sophisticated offspring in an early family celebration of Mom/Grandma's 80th year.