Long Time No Blog

For a woman who's not working, what's my excuse for not blogging? I can't believe I haven't blogged since March and here it is July 2. Well, after working and working and working, I got laid off at the beginning of May. along with 4,000 other people from Merrill Lynch. Very depressed about it and that could be one reason why I didn't blog. And angry about it, too. Lot's of why me's dancing about in my head. I'm sure that song is singing in the heads of the other 3,999. So, I'm job hunting and still working and re-working my resume.

But, enough of that. I will find a job and it will be a GREAT one! I met lots of terrific people on the last job and that was a wonderful thing, they enriched my life for the short time I knew them and I learned things there that I will take with me to the next job.

I have been knitting and knitting lots. I've made socks from Lorna's Lace in a very pretty yellow, pink and orange colorway called Winona. I call it Sherbet and I worked it up in Feather and Fan. I started them on Memorial Day and had the first sock finished on June 5. The second sock is languishing only because I set aside---somewhere---the pattern I used when casting off the toe for the first sock and I know it doesn't really matter, they're socks, but I would like them to look even when I am gushing over them...so until I find what I did with the pattern the second sock is done except for the toe.

Then, I began work on a sweater for my roommate from the "Son of Stitch and Bitch" book and the pattern is called Pub Crawler. The pattern calls for two colors but I'm doing it all in white. It's a very pretty, easy to remember cable done over 12 rows. With any luck and few distractions I may have it done for the holidays.

Next, I am making a Shetland Shawl for myself from hand dyed fingering weight yarn that has purples, blues, corals, pinks, browns and golds in it. That will be the center square and then I'm thinking to edge it in a raisin-y color. This is from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Workship, the Stonington Shawl pattern. I'm doing it on size 7 needles.

Finally, I made a little baby sweater for a friend and his wife who had a baby boy on Memorial Day. The pattern is from a booklet put out by Cottage Creations and it is called Lillie's Little Sweater. The pattern calls for a hood, but I skipped that. Hoods always seem to stay in place while baby's face goes inside it. The sweater is worked from the top down and that seems to make the work go faster. I love those sweaters! I made this one with another of Suzie's hand-dyed yarn, this one a Superwash Worsted Weight, so the new mom can pitch the sweater in the washer. I also used plastic buttons, again so it can be pitched in the machine w/o fear that the buttons will break. High end luxury yarns and buttons are terrific, but not for baby sweaters that are going to be worn and used!

More to follow -

Ripping that Rib Warmer

Sorry for no picture, but I thought about it AFTER I ripped. I had rounded the corner and was prepared to start knitting up the back when I thought, and the knitting group confirmed, that my second corner was at right angle to the first. NOT good. So, there was no choice but to rip and start knitting again. It took just the better part of Saturday afternoon and evening to redo and I'm happier than I can say because I did a much neater job. I'll take some pictures and I think I have a picture of the right angle pre-realization.



In the meantime, there hasn't been much time for knitting, or inclination. Work has been busy and absorbing and by the time I get home I seem to sit in a stupor or fall asleep. I've also been enjoying reading lately. First, I read Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen and now I'm reading Evalina by Fanny Burney. The two Austen books are ones I had not read before and I liked the character of Fanny in Mansfield Park, while I did not much care for Catherine in Northanger Abbey. While both young women seemed a bit clueless about what was going on around them Catherine was particularly dense and I would loved to shake her a bit. Fanny, while helpless at least had backbone, even if she was unable to act on her feelings and sentiments.



Now Evalina is another heroine, helpless against the twists and turns that others impose upon her but not dense. At least she realizes what is going on around her and I like her the better for it. She sees what is happening, makes note of it and has a clue! And the story is delicious. What is the meaning of the strange note from Lord Orville, so out of character with all else we have seen of him? What is the deal with her father? Is he her father or is the man who has raised her more truly the man who can claim her for his own? I haven't the faintest, but I'm enjoying myself immensely! I've got to figure out what next to read!



Meantime, I bought two skeins of Trekking hand art hand dyed yarn in a brilliant blue and raspberry color combination to make a clapotis. First, I do want to finish the rib warmer AND find that other skein of Kona I'm Falling...I really want to make that other sock!

Ripwarmer

Like any Elizabeth Zimmermann project worth its salt, or yarn, I have started the Ribwarmer and ripped it out and started over already. Had the first side of the front done and thought "that is NOT going to be wide enough for you, oh plump one." So, I ripped it all out and started over. I am much happier now. I cast on 14 stitches and knit even for 20 ridges on # 7 needles in Cascade 220 Quattro. I'm getting 4 stitches to the inch, which is what EZ calls for. I then cast on 26 stitches using a backward loop cast on and knit til I was able to cast on at the shoulder (short) side. I cast on 4 stitches and repeated that until I had 52 stitches on the needle.

My bust is 49" at the widest part, so this will give me a 52" ribwarmer. I have linebacker shoulders, so it shouldn't be too bad looks wise. If I don't like it, I can always rip out and do short rows shaping for the bust instead of giving it a go this way!

More to come...