knitting queue of shame...

So my knitting queue is getting rather long and unruly. I am definitely not a monogamous knitter. I have enough patterns to keep me busy until I am  200 yrs old- which sometimes seems sooner than later.

Oh Valencia

Cúram

On the needles now is a sock named oh Valencia by Kate Atherbey, And there is a Hat called Cúram from Ysolda , and a newly released old pattern for socks called Anemochory  by Hunter Hammersen. And there is the Mahy shawl and a sweater....and some other things that I know are in my room somewhere.
So that is my queue of shame.

Anemochory

FInish 15

I love marimekko fabric and have done ever since I first saw it at the Design Research store in Brattle Square in the 1970's. It may have been my first fabric crush. Decades later, overcome by a wave of longing I searched the internet for a source in NY and found a little store on the second story of a buidling in Manhattan and dragged Mike there to see what I could see. The trip resulted in a purchase of five yards ( that was all they had left!) of  black and white fabric that was intended for the windows in my kitchen. But I was shy.  The fabric lived on alone in its bag for several years until I could come to terms with who I am, and announce my love to all. 

polka dotted seam binding

Some time later curtains were born, lined with some Ikea curtains and trimed with polka dotted Japanese bias tape from Purl Soho. The curtains cover the bottom three quarters of the window which gives us privacy from our neighbor who is right across a narrow driveway and the top is left open for light. I was surpised and pleased that I had any left over. 

Back into its bag it went until.......Kate Davies created her Tea Towel which was a graphic representaion of her sweater designs in black and white. Lovely. I sent for one and it was shipped all the way from Scotland and I had no idea what I was going to do with it but I knew it would never be a dish drying rag. 

It was far too elegant and beautiful.

Kate Davies Tea Towel Knitting Bag showing selvedge drawstring because who does not love a marimekko selvedge?

showing yarn guides and red zipper

Along came a swap in the ravely Knitspot group that I am in, and my swap partner allowed as to how she did like knitting bags from which you could draw two separate strands of yarn without tangling them. And back to the internet I went to find a pattern I could make for her. I found the SockSack pattern by Ramona Rose  on Craftsy which included guides for separate balls of yarn. ok . still here? 

I made two in Kaffe Fassett fabrics because she said she wanted bright summery colors and off hers went in the post, along with some self striping sock yarn because she said wanted some easy mindless knitting and I hear and obey. 

And self striping sock yarn is pretty cool stuff. We also discussed which Anne Hanson sweater we would knit and I began to think I am going to need a bigger bag. 

And then I was struck by a bolt of inspiration and thought wouldn't a bag made with that Kate Davies Tea Towel be awesome ? and then, what should I line it with? At first I was contemplating brights and then remembered that I had the remainder of the marimekko fabric tucked away in the original bag, and would that not be fabulous?

And so it is. 

I may need another tea towel.

Biggie cowl in alpaca finish 8

Finish # 8 in 4/2014

Talking to myself, collage and mary doll finish 3 and 4

Happy February to all

     I wish you all a month of self love and positive inner monologue. May all of the things you think and say to yourself in your thoughts and actions, your voice and the whispers in your head, be loving and gentle and kind.

     That is what I would chose as a superpower. Kindness, so that every one I meet could soften into a state of self acceptance and self love. 

Nineteen. I am a rider of Bikes.

     I wish you all, powerful gentleness and gentle power. And I invite you to say one good thing about yourself, to yourself, each day. I did this during the month of January and it has been a continuous source of connection, inspiration and an anchor of positivity during the long days of winter. Whether you write each day in a journal, or do as I did and write them in the notes app on my phone, does not matter as long as you do it. 

     It is a powerfully simple and effective idea. This is not an idea that originated with me. I read it somewhere that someone did this each day on a piece of paper and put it in a jar and as it accumulated it became a wonderful resource and inspiration and at the end of a year they had a powerful pile of affirmations.  

     I took the suggestion and I am in turn offering it to you. It does not have to be a brilliant thought, just something nice that you might say to a friend to support them. 

One day I wrote that I had a clementine for a snack instead of a snickers bar.

(Eight. Had an orange with lunch today. Making good choices.)

 As simple as that and yet it stayed with me for a month and it was a gift to myself that did not cost a thing, one I could share with a friend at work and now I am sharing with you. 

     Other times it has connected me to things that I had completely forgotten about and I am grateful to remember. 

(Nine. I show up. David Reed  gave me a worry stone when I was 13. Since then I have collected stones from here and there. You will find them in my house, the big and the small. Some from India, from Captain Nair, a co worker t the airline where I worked.  Some from Lenox Massachusetts,  Windsor Mountain School-the stone wall in the driveway. Some from the Housatonic River when Mike and I went hiking on the Appalachian trail. Some I have kept from way back when, maybe even the one from David Reed (who lived on Mass Ave in Cambridge. I passed his house when we were there a few months ago-or at least where it had been.  When I see the stones in our house I recall the context of he time when I received them and it reminds me of who I have been and who I am.)

Some times they are a response to something I have been told and I need to correct it so that I can correct my course and steer where I want to go.

Twenty Five. persevere. I finish things. This is Number 4 for 2014.

Twenty Three. Organized. Miss Dempsey, My eighth grade home room teacher was a fossil who wrung her hands and scratched them constantly. Washed them all day long. Spinster virgin Irish catholic teacher obsessive compulsive. She taught me how to parse sentences on the blackboard, teaching me the organization of language. I have always remembered that was this first thing I liked doing in school.

Today on this first day of February, a month wherein Hallmark and the advertising industry has declared us all lovers and chocolate eaters, I am declaring it a personal month of love for ourselves. We do not need a lover to be beloved. We love ourselves.

(Twenty two. I was born on Sunday, November 4, 1956. I am a cloud in the morning sky overlooking the Gulf of Mexico at 7 am. I am a wispy cloud spirit artist. I am a Healer ) 

Twenty Eight. Today, as I make french onion soup for later, and care for Mike during his recovery and prepare the dough for the non pecan pecan rolls my daughter has requested, I am a nurturer.  

What will you tell yourself today?

Finish #2 2014 dragon

The goal is to finish 14 things.
Pattern By Susan B Anderson

watercolor musings or footnotes

Success

Monkey kisses.

Although it is nearly in the nineties today, I finished adding the hardware to this bag and it is a finish!

It is big and heavy and I will put it away for my winter commute when it will be appreciated. I bought it as a kit on our trip to the Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck two years ago,  from the wonderful Nora the proprietor of Noni Designs. 

The hardware is stunning and she also has a book of exquisite  knitted flowers which is on the above linked website. I have made many of her bags and flowers form previously published patterns and they are in a class by themselves. Accessories are mandatory. 

Other news finds us fighting the heat with a twelve foot diameter 36 inch high pool which is filling as I write. Mike says he now needs to build a pool house. To which I replied that this was my plan all along.
Jen is now two days past her due date and tomorrow a doctor's visit (which coincides with the full moon)is on the calendar. hmmmm.... maybe splashing about in our little pool will make the little baby 'who shall not be named' want to come out, or maybe some spicy food will be the catalyst? Baby your time is nigh!

The plan-should me busy for a while

Japanese fabrics from Pinwheels-what say I serge them together for a top? there are already a bunch of nine patches done.

Gratuitous cat photo, Poppet

Knitting projects in various stages of completion-ready to get to work

Ravelry project page notes.. Juneberry..

on chart B:-using lots of markers-

restarted chart 2 jan 30 -still using lots of markers. I am a beginner but I am persistent.

 recommend reading: Eunny Jang's "majoring in lace".

restarted again on April 8. did I mention that I am also a perfectionist? I finished first chart in one night. This is encouraging. Maybe I am getting knitting chops. Maybe I am just lace chart junkie with a huge habit and the monkey on my back is Brooklyntweed!

BTW I am going to join the KAL in Lorna's Laces rav group page for Jared's new shawl, 'rock island'.

p.s. I am marthab on ravelry.
Some of you will know what this means. For the rest of you... take heed!

Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.

knitting-Juneberry

working on it! 

Juneberry, by Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed, In Shelter. I love this wool!

threads....

Threads for the day are accomplished on Pindigo. 

As often happens it turns into more than one thread and if you have time and inclination, it can be a couple of hours of peaceful stitching. Such was my day thus far. 
We put on a pot of my father's famous secret recipe stew and I am trying out a Lingonberry bread mix from Ikea, which is rising on the stove as the pot bubbles. 
Tonight-be still my heart- I will cast on for Brooklyntweed's Juneberry shawl in the color called 'nest'. 
A blissful new years eve!

backing

early bird

morning sky in december

I am up at the crack of early this morning even though I have to work the late shift. Oh well maybe I will actually do a stitch or three, after coffee of course. I have finished another pair of socks , in Blue moon sock weight, I will maybe add a crochet  picot edge in lime green for piquancy.
 "By George, I think I've got it! " I knitted these socks-toe up two at a time- with no pattern!! so I felt kind of good about that.

blue sock

{[(does anyone else think in quotations?) (Last night I started singing to one of my students "the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain..." when he finally 'got' the lesson that we had worked on for two days.  Fortunately he got the reference and we had a good chuckle.) {It is very euphoric when your student has a light bulb moment. }}

I have a cowl, Tudora Ruff , from Knitty, on the needles , a last minute cast on, using left over Shelter mitten yarn-more mittens on another set of needles- and another pair of socks that are in progress...and I have quilts on the design wall. I think I have enough to do. 

red cowl

doodles

I have been back on Weight watchers for a few days. I made a huge pot of minestrone soup and a nice loaf of bread to take for work lunches. I absolutely cannot eat mall food anymore..even the so called healthy choices are really not. So I have made this commitment to myself. It is hard because everyone at work has been bringing so much cake and sugary crap- albeit tasty sugary crap- to work and it looks sooooo delicious, but it is rarely ever worth it, (although Sophie's cheesecake came close) and I am trying hard to remember this. Also, I carry a bag loaded with fruit.
Beware! I am armed with clementines!

One sock

Pattern from Vogue Ultimate Sock book. Opal self striping yarn. Beautiful rosewood needles. The second one will be cast on today. I will not succumb to one sock syndrome (oss)....
And the pin cushion, inspired by the new Inklingo Projects blog, is made with squares from the Le Moyne star collection. the fabrics will also be used in my swap apron...which I cut out this last few days.

more pink snowflakes

AND SOCKS!!


More snowflakes of the fabric variety. My interest in these has been reignited. I am having a terribly a hard time choosing just one thing to work on. The Jane Austen patchwork diamonds are halfway cut out and they may actually get machine stitched to expedite the process, leaving me the snowflakes to do by hand. These, and knitting, should keep my busy when I am not writing and drawing, cooking and. oh yes, at work.

finis

Finished Bailey's hat. Pattern is from the above referenced book. This is a user friendly little tome, which has alot of doable hats. Hats were a theme this year.
I will be doing some inklingo printing later today and will be happy to do so. It is nice to have an afternoon to myself.
Regifting has been a hot topic on the WIP yahoo list. Do you regift? is it 'green'? or is it 'cheesy'? and what is the matter with cheese anyway?
I remember as a child receiving great boxes from my grandmother and aunts filled with their clothes and trinkets. Mostly meant for my mother-being adult clothes, but worn by me, in sixth grade, hitched up with safety pins, and I thought I was so cool! Having one or two kind people as friends much mitigated the ridicule of the many.
So I will try to remember the kind ones and ignore the rest. Jody Adams was kind.I have not seen her since I was twelve but I will always remember the her kindness.
And I will miss those boxes.

Socktober!

I joined a Soctberfest on Ravelry! And it is perfect timing. I have the yarn . I have the needles and I am almost finished with the doll. I am working on her head. the body is done! Pictures will come later. If you are on Ravelry you can click on this blog title to join up.
Maybe I need to do a sock movie-something sock noire? Is that how you spell noire?
Gratuitous hand crank picture.....

Delirium

 

day four of the creeping crud, called in sick to work, twice, and feel like a wimp but I can't breathe,or stand up,

or speak in an audible voice, so I guess this leaves me untenable in the workplace. 

But I am making progress on my knitting while ensconced upon the couch, 

with my two boxes of tissues, my ginger ale, tea, and occasional carton of matzoh ball 

soup from the neighborhood deli.

the pictures are of my noni bag in progress. Actually it is called a carpet bag, I guess due to the size and eventual shape,

after felting. I don't know what kind of straps I will put on it, probably leather, 

equestrian looking if I can find some.

It will be a fine overnight bag for those rare occasions when I need an overnight 

valise of the designer type. If I do say so myself.

I love house blocks and bright fabrics and the blocks perched on the roller shade are evidence of that .

The Lollipop in progress and a delirious assortment of feverishly assembled ( and therefore wonky)

Dear Jane blocks. I plead illness! 

I do love the Dear Jane block so. 

Maybe I should just make a life long commitment to making them 

and forswear all others. At least for today.