A perfect day! The weather was glorious, upper 70's.
I took a nice long walk and listened to my audiobook, A Long Way Gone, Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, by Ishmael Beah. Heartbreaking, but so compelling. I am almost ashamed that these horrible atrocities were taking place in this world and it never crossed my radar. It's all the more poignant because my son is the age that Ishmael is when he was "drafted" (for lack of a better word).
Anyway, I need to take more long walks - it felt so nice.
I came home and read my newest library find, 44 Scotland Street, by Alexander McCall Smith. Wonderful. It was written in installments for a newspaper, a la Armistead Maupin. Completely sweet and enjoyable. A perfect springtime patio read. I'm halfway through and just started today. I told K that I felt like I was on vacation, reading my eyes out on our lovely patio, watching the birds scold my cat and eating way too much chocolate.
I felt unsure of my work on the Ariann sleeve, so I ripped it out and started over - I probably didn't need to do that. It's actually kind of fun, it is knitting up quickly and I've got it all charted out so I feel pretty confident in my progress.
I also hauled out the pink and lime green felted slippers that I started last spring. I don't think mine will make it much longer so I am starting their replacement. I made a ton of progress on the Lizard Ridge too - I am cranking out those squares.
What a lovely day, I couldn't ask for more. I am so lucky to have such a life.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Creativity
I am not a good blogger - so much knitting, so much reading leads to very little blogging. I am realizing that a blog without photos is b.o.r.i.n.g. but since we're running dangerously low on disk space on our home computer I don't want to download many pictures because they take up so much space. We are looking into getting a new computer after that stooooopid HELOC is paid off, which, fortunately, is on the horizon. Yay - debt free (notwithstanding a $120,000 mortgage, ahem). It makes it worth the wait.
Speaking of money, I have been able to save a ton since I've been taking the bus or light rail. Love public transportation! So much reading/napping/knitting time. And I listen to the beloved This American Life on my beloved Ipod. Life is good.
I justified the purchase of a few more skeins of Noro for the Lizard Ridge since I've been so frugal. I really need to take some pictures because I am quite enchanted with my little squares and should be documenting their progress. I've been trying to stay away from the fluorescent pink/yellow colorways, which is kind of limiting, but that would not go in my house a'tall. I really like the No. 185 (orange/purple/green) that I got from Supercrafty, and also No. 178, which is a really lovely blue/grey/green.
The LR is nice to work on at lunch, and while commuting in that it's so portable. I've been saving Ariann for the evenings. Last night I progressed to the part where I did the armhole bindoffs. I also started one sleeve (I chose the long sleeved version, but am considering frogging it and making the 3/4 sleeve version - it seems a little dressier, and hello! faster). I'm not understanding how the body and the sleeves connect, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. The Ariann is at the Slog Phase right now, but I don't want to stop. I've been making pretty good time on it.
I titled this post "Creativity" because I've been thinking how I'm lacking in this arena. I can't fathom writing a knitting pattern, or even really altering an existing one very much. What's the point when there are so many lovely patterns out there. And, I've been following Cara's progress on her miters and have become increasingly interested in trying out a mitered blanket. Coming up with the color combinations is more than a little bit intimidating, though. It's funny because as much as I love Mason-Dixon Knitting, the mitered blanket is not one that caught my eye until Cara posted about it (mostly for the seaming - that might kill me dead). Hers are amazing - I especially love the Chocolate one, #20. I'm kind of plotting out my next project - I should use the Brown Sheep cotton fleece I bought for the Cutaway, and maybe use it for Wendy's Sizzle (what was I thinking buying that pattern - I'm far too modest to wear something that low cut). Alas, part of my obsession with knitting lies in the acquisition of new yarn.
The mitered blanket project is one that I could buy the yarn incrementally, though, like the Lizard Ridge. That has been a great feature of the project.
I've been doing lots of reading, currently The Winthrop Woman by Anya Seton. I just love her work and for some reason it's very surprising to me that these books were written in the '40's and '50's. She has a way of just making the era come alive. I've never been particularly intrigued by the Puritans and America in the 1600's, but this book changed all that. I also have her earlier novel Avalon on the nightstand. The King Arthur legend business has kind of skeeved me so I'll be interested to see what Seton does with it.
Spring is here - we had a lovely weekend and the first of the week was nice, but it's sunny but cold and windy out today. Wind sucks. I think I'll stay in and knit at lunch today. What a surprise!
No photos, no links - I am a sad sack of a blogger.
Speaking of money, I have been able to save a ton since I've been taking the bus or light rail. Love public transportation! So much reading/napping/knitting time. And I listen to the beloved This American Life on my beloved Ipod. Life is good.
I justified the purchase of a few more skeins of Noro for the Lizard Ridge since I've been so frugal. I really need to take some pictures because I am quite enchanted with my little squares and should be documenting their progress. I've been trying to stay away from the fluorescent pink/yellow colorways, which is kind of limiting, but that would not go in my house a'tall. I really like the No. 185 (orange/purple/green) that I got from Supercrafty, and also No. 178, which is a really lovely blue/grey/green.
The LR is nice to work on at lunch, and while commuting in that it's so portable. I've been saving Ariann for the evenings. Last night I progressed to the part where I did the armhole bindoffs. I also started one sleeve (I chose the long sleeved version, but am considering frogging it and making the 3/4 sleeve version - it seems a little dressier, and hello! faster). I'm not understanding how the body and the sleeves connect, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. The Ariann is at the Slog Phase right now, but I don't want to stop. I've been making pretty good time on it.
I titled this post "Creativity" because I've been thinking how I'm lacking in this arena. I can't fathom writing a knitting pattern, or even really altering an existing one very much. What's the point when there are so many lovely patterns out there. And, I've been following Cara's progress on her miters and have become increasingly interested in trying out a mitered blanket. Coming up with the color combinations is more than a little bit intimidating, though. It's funny because as much as I love Mason-Dixon Knitting, the mitered blanket is not one that caught my eye until Cara posted about it (mostly for the seaming - that might kill me dead). Hers are amazing - I especially love the Chocolate one, #20. I'm kind of plotting out my next project - I should use the Brown Sheep cotton fleece I bought for the Cutaway, and maybe use it for Wendy's Sizzle (what was I thinking buying that pattern - I'm far too modest to wear something that low cut). Alas, part of my obsession with knitting lies in the acquisition of new yarn.
The mitered blanket project is one that I could buy the yarn incrementally, though, like the Lizard Ridge. That has been a great feature of the project.
I've been doing lots of reading, currently The Winthrop Woman by Anya Seton. I just love her work and for some reason it's very surprising to me that these books were written in the '40's and '50's. She has a way of just making the era come alive. I've never been particularly intrigued by the Puritans and America in the 1600's, but this book changed all that. I also have her earlier novel Avalon on the nightstand. The King Arthur legend business has kind of skeeved me so I'll be interested to see what Seton does with it.
Spring is here - we had a lovely weekend and the first of the week was nice, but it's sunny but cold and windy out today. Wind sucks. I think I'll stay in and knit at lunch today. What a surprise!
No photos, no links - I am a sad sack of a blogger.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Merry Easter
It's a cold and snowy Easter - perfect for knitting, which I intend to do after our Easter dinner at Mom and Dad's (where we'll see my adorable little tiny nephew, Thad).
I have some catching up to do - Hawaii was all that I expected and more. Loved it. I read an entire book - Innocent Traitor, by Alison Weir, that was fab, and I knit three Lizard Ridge afghan squares. I've got the pattern down pat and so it's going pretty quickly. I'm running out of yarn so I bought three more skeins from Supercrafty that I'm anxiously awaiting. Good price, too. I'll put up a picture of the six squares - they look pretty good if I do say so myself. I tend to like the more earthy ones, but Kureyon's colors are pretty bright, shall we say. It's a good, portable project.
Still working on Ariann, too -# (*&^% buttonhole and all. I kind of screwed it up, but I'm not about to go back. I can't imagine wearing it buttoned anyway. I used the technique in The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques, and I screwed up somewhere along the way. Oh well. I'm still enjoying the process - it's a very enjoyable knit. I haven't figured out why it looks the way it does - gnomes as Crazy Aunt Purl would say.
I have more books from the library: The Winthrop Woman, by Anya Seton, Avalon also by Anya Seton and Mistress of the Art of Death, by Ariana Franklin. I think I'll read the Franklin book since there's a wait for it at the library, but I'm anxious to read The Winthrop Woman - Seton's book Katherine is one of my all time favorites.
I have some catching up to do - Hawaii was all that I expected and more. Loved it. I read an entire book - Innocent Traitor, by Alison Weir, that was fab, and I knit three Lizard Ridge afghan squares. I've got the pattern down pat and so it's going pretty quickly. I'm running out of yarn so I bought three more skeins from Supercrafty that I'm anxiously awaiting. Good price, too. I'll put up a picture of the six squares - they look pretty good if I do say so myself. I tend to like the more earthy ones, but Kureyon's colors are pretty bright, shall we say. It's a good, portable project.
Still working on Ariann, too -# (*&^% buttonhole and all. I kind of screwed it up, but I'm not about to go back. I can't imagine wearing it buttoned anyway. I used the technique in The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques, and I screwed up somewhere along the way. Oh well. I'm still enjoying the process - it's a very enjoyable knit. I haven't figured out why it looks the way it does - gnomes as Crazy Aunt Purl would say.
I have more books from the library: The Winthrop Woman, by Anya Seton, Avalon also by Anya Seton and Mistress of the Art of Death, by Ariana Franklin. I think I'll read the Franklin book since there's a wait for it at the library, but I'm anxious to read The Winthrop Woman - Seton's book Katherine is one of my all time favorites.
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