Loving the summer knitting!

It is early, I know, but I have the Spring/Summer fever. Using cotton and linen for weaving was a natural thing to do, but for some reason, knitting them was not on my agenda. All of that has changed. I started with Elsbeth Lavold's Hempathy, great yarn and great colors! I finished my "Marilyn's not so fitted cardi" from Knit and Tonic. Love it. I am just waiting for it to dry to get the photos posted. On the needles right now is "Hey Teach" of Knitty.com fame. I am making it in exactly what it calls for, Knit One Crochet Too 2nd time cotton. This is not my usual method for selecting yarns and patterns. It was one of those things...I will tell you.

I was shopping at one of my favorite knit shops and saw the yarn. The color is a great linen color and I was thinking of making some kind of sweater...maybe the cover of the Interweave Knits? But the guage was not great. In the store was a cute little sweater that I recognized...Hey Teach! Guess what it was made in??? That is right...guess what size....MINE! So I tried the sample, loved the fit, the look and the yarn, bought it an knit the back right away. I did notice that my usual method of marking lace sections was not working out about the 7th repeat in the lace pattern. Good old Ravelry...I looked up the forum comments and found that others had the same issue. So, don't marked the sections, 7th row messes it up and you will go out of your mind wondering what is going on! At least, I was.

The first evening of knitting on this, with friends and chatting, found me repairing a little stitch that slipped away about 3" down. I picked them up and worked them in, but my neurotic side couldn't deal with it. I went home frogged to the "good" part and started back up. So far, I am loving it and the yarn is great.

This little beauty is short sleeved and could be layered, but I am holding out for the 80 degree weather that is promised for this weekend. All I need is a little tank or tee and the sunshine and my summer has begun...all that from the excitement of summer yarns!

Yeah for Casting On!!!

This is the time of year that I refer to as "Neatening the Nest." It is a form of spring fever that makes me open the windows, air my fleece and yarn and cast on for summer projects. Part of the neatening this year was my desire to start adding magazine issues to Ravelry. It never fails that I will find a great pattern, see it available for a purchaseable download and realize (later) that I actually have the magazine where the pattern first appeared when I PAID for the issue!

So, now with everyone in a necessary phase of being green for the environment and not wasting paper, and being conservative with their cash, not wasting dollars, this seemed a sensible thing to do.

I must say, it was not as bad as I was anticipating! Less than an hour allowed me to enter about 65 magazines and find about 40 that were not on Ravelry's database yet. Now I have magazine cases that are Ravelry checked and those that are not....

Maybe this will help ease my pattern purchasing a bit. I know enough to alter a pattern to update the look using yarn, details or shaping. I have enough yarn and patterns to keep my entire guild busy and clothed for all eternity.

Which brings me to the next neatening adventure...adding those cases of yarn that have not made it onto my stash yet! I was feeling the guilt and slowed down a bit, until I noticed another member's stash WELL over mine! She knows who she is, she reads my blog. I will not name names, but am sure that she does not know enough feet for the skeins of sock yarn to warm. Or maybe she does....I hope she puts me on her list, I could use a pair of hand-dyed hand knit socks.

My most recent cast on is "Marilyn's not so fitted cardigan," a Ravelry download purchase (I know, I have plenty of patterns, could have modified one for this, blah blah blah, but I was in mental distress. I broke down on a spring day in Michigan that was grey and beginning to snow amid a growing pile of personal concerns.). I am using Elsbeth Lavold's Hempathy (love it) and it is moving at a great pace...I just hope I did not make it too big. Pictures and reviews coming since I am on the second sleeve waiting to decide 3/4 length or long. Always a little turmoil at this point in the project, but I hope to be past that this weekend.

Neaten your nest and get started on the Spring projects! It feels so good!!!!!

Knitting with Purpose

The Renaissance of Latvia's ethnographic mittens (reprinted and translated from the "Iberian point of View") Be sure to check out the links at the bottom for the examples of the many patterns! Amazing.

What will 9.000 hands have in common during the NATO Summit in Riga this November? 4,500 pairs of traditional hand-made Latvians mittens!That's what the NATO Summit Latvia for Task force there are prewall Summit guests. The mittens were specially knitted by hundreds of women and men around the country ranging in age from 30 to 86. Each to pair features to unique design, utilizing to wide variety of traditional colors, patterns and symbols. For Latvians, mittens plows much dwells than to way to warm your hands. Every ethnographic Latvian mitten tells to story, marks an anniversary and represents to specific region in Latvia (Vidzeme, Zemgale, Latgale and Kurzeme.) Some intended mitten designs plows specially for weddings or to other special events. There is of even to rich tradition folkloric etiquette associated with the wearing, storing and displaying of mittens. (Story Dwells about The of to thousand to year old Latvian mitten)All, mittens for men and women plows different in size. Men's mittens in general plows to bigger. In addition, and dwells dramatic reserved colours plows characteristic for men's mittens. The colours in women's gloves plows to brighter and dwells cheerful.
The ornamentation elements plows “blended in” from one neighbouring region into to another; therefore the identification of to mitten to particular region dog sees characterized dwells precisely by the composition of its colours and shades. Latgale is to land of linen; therefore linen-congregation light colourings predominate in gloves of this region. Similarly, bright and joyful colours plows characteristic for Latgale and also Kurzeme. Also the Word “rakstaini” dwells precisely characterizes mittens from Kurzeme, because to their ornamentation is to brighter than in other regions. Calm and vibrant earthy colours plows the basis of mittens from Zemgale. However, light and beige colourings plows for typical Vidzeme.
For most Latvians, this project is to national special source of pride, because it you combine tradition, culture and history with something of lasting practical VALUE that will sees enjoyed around the world.
Please, enjoy it!
Galleries of the mittens.
Download all mittens here (200 MB to.rar case out) NEW
Latvian mittens men `s from the Zemgale region of Latvia (they men `s/women `s)
Latvian mittens from the Kurzeme region of Latvia (they men `s/women `s)
Latvian mittens from the Latgale region of Latvia (they men `s/women `s)
Latvian mittens from the Vidzeme region of Latvia

February Ladies Sweater, but it is April!

Well, I am nearly there. I am in the home stretch on my February Ladies Sweater. You saw the pictures I posted, it is in handspun that I got at the Chelsea Fiber Fair. Since there was just barely enough yarn (and I discovered an orphan yarn that I THOUGHT was the same stuff when I bought it) I knit the yoke and sleeves and am finishing the length to fit the yarn. Almost done. It was not actually started in February, so it is no great crime to finish in April. In fact, it was my pre-Lenten cast-on in keeping with the Black Sheep tradition of no new cast-ons during the 40 days before Easter. It has nothing to do with religion or the holiday, but is a way to see if we can limit ourselves or finish the UFO's during this time. So far, so good.

I finished my Sneaky Sheep Swap one skein item for a member of the guild. I have a sock mostly done from my trip to San Miguel de Allende and a second from a pair of socks from a previous project in the home stretch.

School is winding down (or up, depends on how you look at it) and conferences are the last big hurdle of the year. That and writing final report cards. But the end is near and I am ready for the summer break. We always go west to Colorado and opted for the Korean ceramic adventure last summer, so we are longing for our own mountains to hike. Plus, the cat, our adored Tomasina misses travel in the camper. But before we go, I have one last adventure of my own.
I will be traveling to Spain! The Smithsonian Adventure tours was offering an art and architecture tour that starts in Madrid and moves in a horseshoe to the border of France and ends in Barcelona. We will take a couple extra days there for our own little adventure and head home in time to pack the camper. Yippee! My next step in preparation is to check Ravelry for yarn stores in Spain. Wish me luck!

Pictures!!!

Here they are: the Mexican Monkey Socks! I decided to bring this yarn since it felt like Mexico and I love knitting this pattern. Thanks CookieA! I preordered her sock book, so that treat should be in my mailbox any minute now.

The little (or not so little, it holds a whole sweater and a couple balls of yarn) black bag that I was able to snag after losing my self control. No regrets this time...I got it.

Imaginary Alpaca Farm was my first stop at the Black Swamp Spinners sale. She had not even priced this beauty yet and had two skeins of 305+ yards available. MINE MINE MINE!

My Briar Rose 4th of July yarn for the Retro Cardi that I have been dreaming of for 2 YEARS!

February Ladies Sweater in the handspun and handdyed yarn from the Chelsea Spinner's Flock Fiber show and sale last month...almost done. Still praying that I have enough yarn to make it longer than a cropped sweater since I cut it pretty close. We will see....soon.

One of the most lovely sock yarns of recent purchase (yesterday's jaunt to Ohio for the Black Swamp Spinners sale). I needed to guard this one, others had their eyes and even their hands on it, the nerve!

More River's Edge sock yarn. I happened to choose her two most recent colors for this year. This one is more grey than blue...like Good and Plenty candy and some fade...it matches my hot pink Converse tennis shoes!

Bernal is a wool specialty area in central Mexico. These little slippers are alpaca and handknit from the town, a nice addition to my collection of knitting around the world! Plus, an easy pattern to make if I want more!

Hola!

I am freshly back in the states after a bit of sunshine in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. This is my second time in this colonial paradise of central Mexico. The vibrant colors of the buildings and the sights, sounds and sunshine make me reallllllly happpy!!! I went with my mom and had a great time. We toured some wonderful houses and their fabulous gardens, saw a flamenco show, walked for miles and miles each day on the cobbled streets and narrow walks to discover each adventure. A couple of side tours to neighboring states revealed Diego Rivera's birthplace, a mummy museum, a Jurassic period mini-mountain that holds all kinds of lore and tons of history and beauty. Purple trees in bloom dotted the landscape and we shopped the galleries of a retired muslin mill. Ole! I even found a pair of hand knit alpaca socks in one of the wool capitals, Bernal, to add to my multicultural knit collection.

One week back on American soil and I found myself traveling with friends from the Black Sheep to the Black Swamp Spinners fiber show in Ohio. Of course, I added to my mega stash on Ravelry and cannot wait to get knitting. Briar Rose was there with the ingredients for the much coveted retro cardigan in 4th of July yarn dyed with greens and blues...something new for me and soooooo lovely! We found a new yarn shop in Sylvania, thanks to our driver and pal, Suzanne and will be returning for more goodies soon, I hope!

While in Mexico, I decided to bring socks as the knit along project for the trip. I used the original Noro sock yarn in multi colors that reminded me of the colors in San Miguel. I call them my Mexican Monkeys, since they are the Monkey Sock pattern with a theme. Unfortunately, I missed my daylight opportunity, once again, to photograph the new stuff (tax season requires daylight or I make mistakes). Just you wait, pictures will be here and there will be no room for words!

I scored the little black bag!

I went, I saw, I left it behind. I thought about it, dreamt about it and talked about it. I even blogged about it. I emailed, I called, I paid and I recieved my little black bag! It arrived yesterday and I can't wait to put a special project in my new knitting bag and show it off! In the meantime, I have taken the Black Sheep lenten challenge (non-religiously speaking) as a way to curb my new project jones. This has put me well on my way to completing a pair of socks that I thought I lost, but alas, had just not finished. It has also pushed me to get moving on the February ladies sweater in denim blue handspun from the Chelsea fleece fair. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can make it on the skimpy yardage that was way too close for comfort. When I got home with the wonderful blue loot, I realized that in my frenzy, I had picked up one skein that was missing a tone that the others possessed! So, I alternated the oddball (literally, odd ball) with the others for the garter yoke and moved into the common blue for all the rest. So far, it is a fun knit!!! Pictures to come, I know, I always say that...but they eventually do, don't they?