Getting Started

I started working on my Ashton Shawlette today in Portsmouth, NH. I am trying to learn how to keep working on these things no matter where I am. So far, so good, but I am beginning to wonder if the striping in the yarn is going to become a little bit weird as the shawl grows. Lace charts have been pretty simple on this pattern so far and I am excited to watch the pattern emerge. 

A New Project

Today I finally decided to put aside the boring black socks and do something fun. Knitting was becoming drudgery, so I decided to spice it up and take a shot at doing a lace shawl. I chose the Ashton Shawlette pattern and pulled out some Berrocco Sox sock yarn. 

I'm going to try to do the pattern on straight needles because I don't have the circulars called for, and let's be honest here, I probably don't need to buy new needles for every project I do. I will let you know if any difficulties develop, but I have always liked using straight needles. I know that circular is all the rage, but I am a bit of a traditionalist. 

The yarn touches a bit of a nerve. I initially bought it to make socks for my husband. So much of life we never got to. But repurposing things helps to recontextualize life, and I'm sure he wouldn't have minded even if he were here to argue. 

This is the first project that I will be using a pattern on my iPad Mini for and I am excited. I will be traveling to the East Coast next week and it is awesome to not have to carry any books with. 

Finally, I am no longer in Saint Paul. I moved back in with my parents in Custer. Hopefully this means that I will have more time to knit and sew. Realistically, I have been traveling and working on incredibly boring socks. But things should perk up this fall, and I hope to have a lot more to share. 

My nascent shawlette:

The Worst Thing That Ever Happened

I know that I have been gone for a while. 

It was cancer. My boyfriend of 3 years got cancer. And then there was radiation and chemo. His grandpa died. My grandpa died; cancer in both of them. Then, in one of the most  beautiful shining moments of the past 4 months, we got married. And then he died on our one month anniversary. 

I'm sure you can understand why I haven't posted. I feel an awful lot like the lovely bamboo/silk sock that he died before I could finish for him: a work in progress that doesn't know where it's going or why. 

I'm hanging in there. I will try to get this thing back on the rails, but right now I'm trying to be gentle on myself, so posts may still be a bit sporadic. 

Hospital Knitting

I know that I haven't been posting much lately. It all started with some drama at work, but that quickly got shuffled into the not important category.

My Significant Other got sick. Really sick. In the past 5 days I have been to the emergency room twice and now that he has been admitted, I have spent many hours sitting by a hospital bed.

The second Asymmetrical Cables sock is done except for grafting the toe and I will be sitting with a design project tomorrow. I've also been thinking of casting on a hat, but I'm not sure how reliably I will be posting here.

I'm sure all of you understand.

I will try to update when I can, both on my knitting and the status of the SO.

A Bad Week

I'm sorry that it has been a while since my last post.  I have just been having a really hard time lately and I'm not sure how to talk about here, or if I should talk about it here.

Suffice it to say, all is not so f***in' sunny in day-job world and I'm having trouble coping with it. 

I've been trudging along with the April Asymmetrical Cables socks and I am on the second one.  I am actually very happy with how they are turning out and my SO is starting to almost sound excited for me to finish them.

Also, I managed to complete the Yarn Shop Hop here in the Twin Cities and I took some notes.  I will work on a post of my impressions for later this week.

In the meanwhile, here's a cat in a cowl:

Why Do I Even Ask?

I wonder if everyone experiences this:  Last night I talked to my brother.  He lives out in California and I wanted to get his sweater measurements because I'm kicking around an idea for a Christmas present for him.  However, I have been so excited about this idea, that I actually told him the basic concept.

I think this is where I may have started to go wrong.  Now he has an opinion for everything from exact length, to zipper vs. buttons, to design motif, and I am listening to him.  I know, it will be his sweater, but it will be mine as well since I am designing it.  Where do you draw that line?  I want him to be happy with it, but it is a present that I am going to be spending a lot of time on.

And my brother may be notoriously fussy, but I did explain to him that if I take the time to design and knit a f***ing sweater for him, he will f***ing love it.

I guess I may be a little cranky today.  I have been pretty knocked out by the flu for most of a week now and although I have gotten some knitting done, I have managed to take care of very little else.

Right now, my socks are the only thing that I have on the needles that isn't a design project.  I have moved from the instep decreases to the foot now and feel like I am in the home stretch with this first sock.  I will be teaching myself how to graft with Kitchener stitch for the toes!  I am actually kind of excited.  I love how seamless Kitchener stitch can look and I know it frustrates some people, but I seem to enjoy some of the more frustrating aspects of knitting.

So close to done!

And now, the moment people have been waiting for:  The Drawing!

I ran the 35 comments through the random number generator at Random.org and the winner of the Knit Picks 4" dpns is . . .

#23 - Connie K.  greyowl (on ravelry)

Congrats to Connie and I will be PMing you on Ravelry to get your mailing info!

May these needles make you many beautiful socks.

Fritz don't care, he's got a sunbeam.

On Wings of Stainless Steel

Wow. What a response to my last post! So many wonderful sock ideas! I too dream of the perfect legs for my socks. And for you beginners who commented: do not be afraid of cables; they are much easier than they look.

However, I realized that I never described my dream socks.

I am currently dreaming of making the Almondine socks from Sock Knitting Master Class in something bright and colorful. I love leafy botanical patterns.

And as for the new HiyaHiya needles, this sock has started to just fly by!