What you can, when you can

I've come to loathe my morning commute.  It is mercifully short (20 minutes door to door), but people can be shockingly rude in the a.m.  My complaints are of the mundane variety, so I'll not bore you with them; suffice it to say that nothing makes me happier than walking or riding my bike to work. I get to be not on the train and in the fresh air.

Yesterday's weather report called for a high of 50 degrees, so I decided to take advantage of the spring atmosphere and hoof it in to the office.  I kind of planned my outfit poorly, so that I was both cold and sweating as I walked, but the sun was out and my iPod was on shuffle working its magic, so I didn't mind.  Too much.

Today we've been experiencing what the weather forecasters call a "wintry mix." It's been raining and snowing off and on all day.  I've not been too disturbed as I work indoors and have plenty of handknits with which to bundle up.  The weather has, however, made me glad that I took the opportunity yesterday to spend some time in the air and sun while I had the chance.

On the topic of seizing opportunities and making the most of right now (ham fisted segue), about 10 years ago a not great movie starring one of my biggest Hollywood crushes was released.  He is Keanu Reeves, and the movie is Sweet November.  I'd never intended to see the movie, and in fact, I once decided that a guy was "not right for me" because he suggested we see it on our second date (which subsequently never occurred), Yet see it I did, last fall when I was dogsitting for some friends.  As I said, it's not a great movie, but I'll forgive a lot when I find an actor charming. 

ANYWAY, Charlize Theron stars opposite Keanu as a woman with a poorly kept secret (SPOILER: it's lymphoma) who takes men under her wing, one at a time for one month at a time, and teaches them how to be present and embrace life.  Hokey, yes, but she wore some great scarves in that movie.

Had I seen the movie when it was released, I wouldn't have known what to do about these scarves I liked so much, but now I am a knitter and a crocheter and I knew what to do: Ravelry!  Turns out patterns for both knit and crochet versions of the scarf are available (for free).  I opted to make the crochet version, for maximum authenticity, and I'm really glad that I did.

Details:

Pattern: Sweet November Scarf/Shawl by April Draven

Yarn: Wollmeise Sockenwolle Twin

Hook: H/5.0mm

Started: January 22

Finished: February 19

Love the pattern, love the yarn.  I bought the Wollmeise from The Loopy Ewe on total impulse and in a panic, because the stuff sells out within 5 minutes of being posted.  I love how acidy bright it is, with incredible depth of color.  The hype surrounding Wollmeise is not for naught.  The colorways are gorgeous and it's easy to work with.  It's so tightly plied that it's almost like working with cotton, so maybe it's funky to knit with like cotton, but to crochet was a breeze.

I wanted to make this big and drapey so that it could easily wrap around one's neck more than once, so I ended up using about 1 1/2 skeins of yarn. Still, it's light enough for damp and chilly spring and fall days, and possibly even summer nights if you live in a temperate climate.

So, Sweet November, might not be an award winning movie (although it was immeasurably better than that crap fest Forrest Gump) there are some nuggets of wisdom in there (like do what you can when you can (SPOILER: because you mighty not have a tomorrow), and it inspired this dope scarf, so yay for that.

Maybe next time I'll share my thoughts about The Lake House (SPOILER: I love it!)

See!  Even they're dubious.

She would merengue, and do the cha-cha

If it's Barry Manilow, it's got to be karaoke.

Last weekend, the Fort Greene/Cinton Hill Knit & Crochet Group held our 2nd annual Secret Santa gift exchange and holiday party at Duet 35, an AWESOME karaoke bar just north of Manhattan's 2-block Koreatown. Actually, it's a karaoke box, as they're called in Japan. You reserve a windowless private room for your party, pick up some Korean take-out (I got mine at Woorjip), settle in with a couple of microphones, songbooks (in English, Korean, Mandarin and Korean), possibly a few drinks and there you have it: instaparty.  We made our first visit there last year when we had our going away party for Brooke , and it was crazy fun, so we decided we to return.

The winter holidays can be stressful for crafters who make gifts, so we planned our exchange for after the holidays, thereby maximizing creativity and enthusiasm while minimizing burnout. The party was also scheduled very close to our girl Oiyi's birthday, so I made a cake to help her celebrate.

Red Velvet with toasted pecans.  Cream cheese frosting, yum! 

So the party was super fun, but that was no surpise. 

We ate and sang for a few hours before we got down to cake

and presents.  I've learned a couple of things since I first karaoked.  Here they are:

1. 
   
   No rap songs, unless you really know how to rap.  It's super hard to get the breathing right, and the singer always ends up huffing and puffing. You may love singing along to Kanye on the radio, but it's a bust in the karaoke box.
   
   
   
2. 
   
    If you don't know how a song begins, pass on it.  You'll start off awkwardly and never recover your sense of joy and excitement.
   
   
   
3. 
   
   Ditto if all you know if the chorus.  Yes, it's fun to sing "I'm hot, sticky sweet, from my head to my feet," but there's more to Pour Some Sugar on Me than those lines.
   
   
   
4. 
   
   No one cares if you have a bad voice (you're not getting paid or anything), so no apologies, please.
   
   
   
5. 
   
   Avoid songs that have looonnnnggg instrumental interludes, e.g. Sympathy for the Devil.
   
   
   
6. 
   
   Avoid songs that have repetitive endings, because you'll likely peter out.  I made this mistake once at a karaoke party when I elected to sing Turn Me Loose, by the Canadian rock band Loverboy. It was bad.
   
   
   
7. 
   
   I do much better with duets (thank you Judy, Lissa, Angela and Rima) than on my own.  Except for Berlin.  I can tear it up with The Metro sans assistance.
   
   
   
8. 
   
   Consider bringing a set list with you, because for the past few days, I keep thinking of songs that I wish I'd have sung.  Arrgh!
   
   
   

I drew Tomo's name in the Secret Santa exchange, and while she's a very easy-going, unfussy person, she's also a rather accomplished knitter (perhaps you've seen the room she helped to knit), and I was a little anxious about what to make for her. In the end, I decided to do something she wouldn't be able to do for herself: crochet.

Pattern: Improvised shell stitch from The Encyclopedia of Knitting and Crochet Patterns

Yarn: Rowan Kid Classic

Hook: 5.0mm/H

Started & Finished: January 2010

This was my first crochet project in quite a while, and I tried out a couple of awkward or poorly written patterns before deciding to try a little imrpov, which is unusual for me.  I tend to like guidelines, rules, patterns and precision, explains in part why I prefer baking to cooking.  It drives me batty when I read teh words "season to taste," because, really, what the hell does that tell me?  However, a little freewheeling action proved to be just what I needed, and once I decided to make like Stevie Nicks and go my own way, I was very happy with the results.  More importantly, so was Tomo (seen wearing the scarf below, with Okay Knits and Emily).

Cute!

I was very happy with the present Jessie made for me, and it was a decidedly spot on choice.  Unfortunately, I don't have any photos yet, but those will come. Soon! Until then, let's pretend it's 1983, shall we:

We look nothing alike, and yet

And yet I know this scarf will be brilliant on me. I know it! In just these colors.

Simple, pretty, bright.

I think it's because we both have yellow undertones to our skin. My friend Yukiko is Japanese American and while we look nothing alike, we share the same color palate to a T. When she still lived in New York, we could always share lipstick and often clothing (tops only, as I have about 6 inches on her in the height department). It's fun having a palate-twin, kind of like being blood sisters when you're 9 years old.

Here we are a week from Christmas and I'm fantasizing about what I want and what will look good on me. Hmm. I'm not a greedy person, nor am I a narcissist. I think I've been so consumed with holiday knitting that I'm fantasizing about what I'll do for myself when the season is finished as a little mental escape. If I'm being honest, I have to admit that all of this crafting truly is for me, since it makes me happy and proud to make these things for my loved ones. Still, there are a lot of amazing patterns out there which I feel are watermarked with my name, and my chubby fingers are itching to get started!

And the scarf? I found it at Garn, a Danish on-line yarn store to which I'll be returning. Oh, yes, I shall return. Mwwa aaa aaa aaaa!

Did someone say birthday?

They keep me busy, those birthdays. The thing is that I much prefer to make a gift instead of simply buying one. I like the mental effort it takes to think up an appropriate project, and then selecting the yarn, well, that's super fun. Like this here:

I found this yarn at Yll o Tyll in Uppsala, Sweden. The color is very Adrienne, and it's a rustic, slightly nubby silk, which is perfect for someone who is sensitive to itchy fabrics (Adrienne) and lives in a temperate, yet dampish climate like Seattle (also Adrienne). And I just really loved it. So purchase it I did, and then toted it around with me back to Stockholm, up to Karlstad, back to Stockholm and then home to Brooklyn. So, it's seen a bit of the world.

Adrienne's birthday is the first week of October, but I was so cranked up that I started this the week that I came home from Sweden.

Details:
Pattern: Ishbel, by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Yll o Tyll Soft Silk
Needles: US7/4.5mm
Started: July 16
Finished: July 31

I am SO MUCH happier with this Ishbel than I was with my first Ishbel. The pattern is great, pretty yet straightforward. It just goes to show how important it is to select the right yarn for a given project. The one mistake I made in working this up was using bamboo circulars; as bamboo and silk are both a bit sticky, I had to work kind of hard for each stitch. The next time that I work with this yarn (I bought two more skeins in different colors) I'll use metal or plastic needles. The project will sing off the needles!



Now that I'm looking at this, I realize that the lace portion is a variation of the one used in the project below:

It's pretty obvious, so it's a little doofy that I'm only now making the connection. I know that I have a distinct sensibility, but I'm surprised that it's so evident in the projects I make for others.

Details:
Pattern: Haven, by Kim Hargreaves
Yarn: Valley Yarns Berkshire Bulky
Needles: US11s/8.0mm
Started: October 6
Finished: October 13

I have been wanting to make this for over a year, ever since Amy gave me Kim Hargreaves book, Heartfelt, The Dark House Collection. There are so many lovely patterns in the book, but thus far I've only managed two make two of them, and both for the same friend, affectionately known as ABD. She's rather glam and ladylike and stylish, and since chunky, bulky scarves and cowls are all the rage this season, as are all shades of purple, I thought this would be a good birthday prez for her.

I need to find a better solution to the bathroom self-portraits.

The project didn't travel overseas, but it did come to Minnesota with me. For $$ reasons, I subbed in the Berkshire Bulky for the Rowan Cocoon called for by the pattern. I ordered 5 skeins, thinking it would be plenty, then panicked when it arrived and was convinced that I wouldn't have enough. As a fix, I modified the pattern so that I worked only one lace repeat each row, rather than the two directed. This worked out just fine, but I have 1.3 skeins of yarn left. I loved the scarf, and now want one for myself. Well, perhaps after Christmas crafting is done.

Happy Holidays

What a tremendous holiday weekend this has been! Off work at noon on Thursday, then out to enjoy champagne and dinner in Brooklyn with Lauren, who's in from Paris.

Our last visit was a Christmas, so there was lots of catching up to do. I'd planned for us to enjoy our champers in a little park in Cobble Hill, but the weather neglected to cooperate.

The sky absolutely opened up! We took refuge in a tiki bar on Smith Street, ordered tacky and delicious rum drinks and waited for the downpour to end. Later, we meandered down the block for a yummy Italian dinner. Good night!


The next day, I was up early readying myself for a day at the beach with Lauren and another dear friend, Angela. This was our third annual outing to the the beach at Rye, and we really had such a lovely time. I'm a bit more of a sun worshiper than my fair-complexioned companions, so I was particularly grateful for the clear skies, but so long as I can sit in a lounge chair and stare at the sea, I'll not complain. Late in the afternoon, we repaired to the cabana for aperitifs. Pure delight!





The following day, the 4th of July, was another event: BBQ at Jeffrey's home. More delicious food and good friends. It began wholesomely enough, then devolved into proper debauchery. Quelle surprise!

Crafts? Oh yes, there's been quite a bit of that, as well. About two weeks ago Emily, a member of my knitting group, suggested KAL for a new pattern, Aestlight by Gudrun Johnston. I'd never done a KAL before, and was quite enthusiastic. I was a bit hung up on yarn, however, as I wanted to be sure not to repeat a recent misstep: using a multi-colored yarn on a lace project. Let me show you what I mean:

Details:
Pattern: Ishbel, by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Malabrigo Lace in Azelea
Needles: US6s/4.00mm
Started: June 16
Finished: June 27

The pattern is a lovely one, but the handpainted yarn was not the best choice for the project. While it is incredibly soft, all of the details of the lace are lost in the busy color changes. Argh! I shouldn't complain too much, however, because the dark bits do a good job of hiding several of the more obvious mistakes I made on this little project. I blame it on the super sticky lace-weight yarn. My yarn-overs and knit-two-togethers kept getting lost. If I ever work with lace weight yarn again, and that's a big if, it will have to be something smooth and silky like, well, like silk or bamboo. But merino? Nyet. Also, these colors are crap on me! Fortunately, they are fab on Nettie, a friend from knitting group, so I gave it to her.

See? I'm glad it will have a good home.

So, the KAL: After realizing that nothing I have in my stash of yarns would be quite right for this project, I made an indulgent visit to my favorite yarn store, Purl, and bought two skeins from the brand new line, Spud & Chloe. I had originally planned for this to be a travel project for my trip to Sweden, but excitement got the better of me. I knit up Aestlight with what for me can only be described as lightening speed. I'm not a terribly fast knitter, but I was able to get a lot done on the day I was home sick (btw, summer colds suck! It's totally depressing to be stuck inside, sweating with a sore throat when it's 70 degrees and dry outside).

Details:
Pattern: Aestlight, by Gudrun Johnston
Yarn: Spud & Chloe Fine, in Tutu
Needles: US6s/4.00mm
Started: June 28
Finished: July 4

Constructed from the neck down in a traditional Shetland manner, this mini-shawl really grew a lot after blocking. The birds eye lace opened up nicely, and developed a kind of 3D quality that's not apparent from the photos.

I love it! A keeper, I do believe.

I'm off on holiday tomorrow. Hej Stockholm, hej då New York!

Vacation Inspiration

In 2004, my friends Adrienne and Clayton were living in Copenhagen for a few months. Never having been to Denmark, and missing them very much, I decided to visit. It was such a lovely time, both staying with them in their home and seeing this beautiful city for the first time. I felt very much at home there (due in no small part to the size of the Danes; they are my sized people, all the way down to their feet). But I was also very excited and inspired by Danish style, not fancy Danish modern design, which I also like, but more everyday style: colors, clothing, how people fixed their homes. Ever since that trip, I've found myself gravitating towards colors and styles I saw, for what felt like the first time, on that trip.

Among the many sites that made a lasting impression on me were these buildings:

It took me a bit to figure out how many buildings there were and which facades had been painted. There was no marker or anything to indicate that these buildings were special in any way, and I like the fact that I still don't know what they're about. They're just a pretty memory. The blues and greys are my kinds of colors, and have turned up in my most recent project, the Textured Shawl recipe by Orlane.

I knit this for myself with Kraemer Yarns Sterling Silk and Silver on US6s. There's a wee bit of real silver in the yarn, but not enough to compromise softness. (the second photo is a bit more true to life, colorwise). It was fun to knit, easy but not boring, but before it was this pretty little thang, it was this hot mess:

I've got to get myself a swift.

Derby Day and the aftermath

Last Saturday was the Kentucky Derby and my friends Dawn and Josh had a party, as they do every year। It's been my experience that folks who throw Derby parties really go all out. I don't know what I liked best: the Mint Juleps, the fried pie or the cheesy grits. There were an incredible number of children, for what is always a boozy event, but they were cute, even the one who peed in the garden.

Too many Mint Juleps combined with a rainy Sunday meant I bailed on my plan to run 12 miles. Instead, I stayed at home listening to The Tennessee Border Show, a country, western and western swing program on WKCR, the Columbia University radio station. And I finished this:

It's Baktus, designed by the Norwegian knitter Strikkelise, and making the rounds on Ravelry. I stayed up much later than is typical for me, because I really wanted to finish it before my birthday on Monday. And I did. And it was good.
The pattern is easy and and works up quickly. I used two skeins of Be Sweet Bamboo, which is incredibly soft. Be Sweet is an interesting company that works with job creation programs in South Africa focused on supporting the efforts of local artisans. I ran a bit short on the black skein, but I'm not bothered. I'm very happy with the length, look, feel and drape of the scarf.