Countdown to Autumn

With TheReunion over the fall season seems closer than ever. Any moment now I'll hear the Song of the Cricket coming from the hedgerows (and the thwack of the flyswatter if they come indoors - love me some cricket songs, but only outside.) Usually I am exhausted by now - ready for any downtime at all - after a mad weekend of guests and partying. This year I feel a different sort of tired, mostly made up of grief processing. I miss my dad. I miss my dog. I don't exactly fear the future as one of the Old Ladies at TheReunion ... it's still a little while off - and besides, being old isn't necessarily such a bad thing. But I do feel a little like I'm staring into a future that I have never imagined and never planned for. It's just that the ozone layer of old folks has thinned even more now that I too have lost a parent. I remember when it happened for BD and while I always knew it would come for me too, I didn't really believe it.

Well. It is just my turn.

But I am cutting myself a lot of slack while I come to terms with changes. I'm not despairing as I struggle with a stupid 6 stitch/8 row lace pattern, knitting a row, tinking back, knitting the next 2 rows, tinking back. This is the slowest scarf ever knittinked! But it will be lovely and heck - I like to knit a lot more than I like to finish. I've ordered blocking mats from KnitPicks so that I can actually stretch this lace out and get an idea of the finished gauge. Maybe I won't have to knit such a long scarf!  I am planning on using the same border stitch on it so length and width will be added. That pattern is a little easier to follow - a diamond shape, always easy to read.

Blocking mats

I'm also thinking about sweaters - about something quick and smooth and zipped up swiftly. Something from my stash? Something from new yarn? Now that the house is a little cooler upstairs I may do some stash shopping.

And now it is after 8 and Monday to boot. Guess TheQueen better get a hustle on.

Spirit Trail Fiberworks Yarn of the Month Club Project 1

In spite of the monumental stash that is stored, bagged, tucked, boxed, scattered and hidden in my house, I succumbed to the Lorelei temptation of J's yarn club this year. You may have been strong enough to resist this tempting list, but I, who had just visited her and seen the previous year's samples, could not:

March 1: One skein of "Lyra" (50% Alpaca, 30% Merino, 25% Bombyx Silk Light Worsted), 226g,

approx. 500 yards

April 1: One skein of "Orihime" (80% Merino, 20% Cashmere Fingering),100g, approx. 430 yards

May 1: One skein of "Elysium" (4 Ply 100% Cashmere DK Weight), 56g, approx. 200 yards

June 1: Two skeins of "Neith" (55% Bombyx Silk, 45% Cashmere DK), 55g, approx. 200 yards per skein

July 1: Two skeins of "Sunna" (70% Merino, 20% Cashmere, 10% Bombyx Silk Fingering), 115g, approx. 356 yards per skein

August1: One skein of "Nona" (50% Merino, 25% Cashmere, 25% Bombyx Silk Heavy Laceweight), 115g, approx. 630 yards

I made some rules for myself when I committed to More Yarn Entering TheCastle. First, the yarn has to be cast-on within 2 months of receiving it. Second, all of this yarn must be knit up by January 1, 2012. This may be a push since there's a good bit of fine, small yarn in the collection. But they all come in manageable sized skeins - accessory sized amounts. Also - I want to be true to the yarn. This is high quality stuff - I should honor it by using it. 

photo courtesy of the
Barbara Walker Treasury Project

So. The first shipment came 3 weeks ago, while I was finishing up the HCJ. It's the most heavenly blue and it's almost a solid, with subtle variations that, even when indoors, make it look like sunlight might be teasing out little harmonic colors. As usual when I have a new yarn with no specific project in mind, I began flipping through Barbara Walker and right away my Second Treasury opened up to a stitch pattern I have come back to time and again. The German Herringbone Rib. I really respond to this pattern and oddly enough, have always thought of making it up into a scarf.

Of course, that's only odd because I almost never make scarves. They don't seem like real projects to me. Also. I don't wear them. But Other People do wear them, and since I won't be keeping this project anyway - I look like I have jaundice when I wear blue - a scarf in this yarn will make a fabulous gift. I'll knit it in 2 halves so that both ends have that lovely pointed edge and weave them together in the middle. The stitch pattern is a true rib - with enough Ks and Ps that it doesn't curl on either the sides or the pointed end. Best of all - it's the sort of 6 row pattern that's easy to memorize, even easier to 'read', and yet interesting enough to keep you knitting just one more row. 

Thank goodness, since I find scarves sooooo boring to make otherwise. Here's a picture of my yarn. 

And so - Happy Sunday to you. 

Down to the wire

Spirit Trail Fiberworks Club Yarn

If I want to cast on my STF Club yarn with a clear conscience I don't want any HCJs whining in the background. The club yarn will be a speed effort on my part, since another club yarn will show up in the mailbox next month (April).  That's why I've been in such a swivit about not finishing those sleeves. I did work on them. And discovered that the second sleeve was 4 rounds too short so I'll have to rip out the seed stitch cuffs and add them. I hate jacket sleeves that look - and feel - skimpy. But now I'm glad about that because I have decided that ... to be absolutely sure I don't end up with flaring cuffs, I'm going to decrease 2 stitches (or maybe 3) on the last knit round as well as switch to a smaller needle to knit those wider seed stitch cuffs.

So. 17 more hours to finish up. Oh. No! 16. Better get goin'!

Ta