Too sweet to be sour, to nice to be mean

I made a couple of purchases the other day.

Totally accidental, I swear.

I bought the yarn Friday afternoon at the new Purl Soho store on Broom.  Their new space is beautiful and roomy, and while I wasn't intending to make a purchase, the Koigu was 40% off. And those pinks and yellows were begging to be paired with a solid and turned into a pair of striped socks.  I cannot wait.

I'd also had it in  my mind that I needed a pair of walking to work shoes, something cuter and zippier than my white New Balance, which give me a distinctly Working Girl vibe when paired with a work outfit, rather than  running shorts as intended.  So into store after store on lower Broadway we went, searching for something with the right vibe, and low and behold, we found them. The last pair, in my size, discounted by $110.  Yes, all that lovely for $29.99. They're loud and crazy and intergallactic and I love them.

So: pink and orange in full effect.  The heart wants what the heart wants.

On a discinctly less springy tip, I made this lovely a couple of weekends ago:

I started it the night that I returned from the mondo yarn swap and finished it the next day. The yarns are all worsteds and aran weights, so it wasn't too much work, but I did work pretty furiously.  I think it was a means of coping with the overwhelming amount of yarn I found myself staring at.  I wanted something that would eat up a few skeins immediately and make me feel as though I'd made a dent towards stash reduction.  I'd also been wanting to make a granny square inspired shawl for a long time, so this was kind of perfect.

Details:

Pattern: 106-40 Shawl by Drops/Garn Studio

Yarn: Misasol Miski, Ístex Plötulopi, GGH Bel Air and several others

Hook: 5.0mm/H

 

I'd estimate that this took me 6 hours total, so not too bad.  I wet blocked it, as I do with almost every thing I make, and it grew by about 10%.  The fabric is neither stiff nor flaccid, so I'm happy with the tension I used.  And it's the slightest but rough, but I don't mind.  A little texture makes it feel old-fashioned and traditional, which I like.  The colors put me in mind of both a cold Scandinavian winter morning, or a rainy Portland fall day. Cozy.

Speaking of Scandinavia, Iceland has been much in the news this week, so I thougt I would take this opportunity to remind you of what is probably that nation's most famous export.  More enjoyable than volcanic ash, that's for sure.

Let The Sun Shine In!

We had unusually warm weather last week in New York.

I enjoyed every minute of it.  Spring may be my favorite season, although it's got a strong competetor in fall.  A lot of people claim to like summer the best, but not me.  What I mean is that summer's nice, but it's obvious, and in some ways a little base.  As a season, it lacks subtlety.  Spring, on the other hand, is fresh, dramatic, a little unpredictable, yet you know how it wil end: warmly. 

One of the things that I particularly enjoy about Spring is that it affords me the opportunity to lunch outside again.  For most of the late fall and winter, I eat my lunch at my desk while cruising about on the Internet, so I feel absolutely liberated when it's nice enough for me to take my lunch and sit outside. 

A favorite spot of mine is the cemetery across the street from my office.  It's very old (Alexander Hamilton is buried there) and is set up more like a park than most American cemeteries.  It reminds me of a smaller version of Assistens Cemetery in Copenhagen, where I once enjoyed a lunch of smorrebrod after visiting the grave of Hans Christian Anderson. There are paths to wander and lots of benches on which to rest, and while it's right on a busy street in lower Manhattan, it's really green and calming.

It makes me happy that it's so well utilized, by both New Yorkers and tourists alike.  The grounds keepers keep it up so well, and there are always different plants blooming and coming in to their own. Can you tell I'm a little in love?

In addition to eating and people-watching, I do a fair bit of knitting in the cemetery, including work on my most recent FO:

Details:

Pattern: Damson, by Ysolda Teague

Yarn: Okay Knits Sena & Muthoni

Needles: 3.75mm

I've got a little bit of a shawl thang goin' on.  I just counted, and this is the 12th one I've made since last May.  Wazzup?

(see bag of yarn purchased at Marias Garn in Stockholm last summer, lower left of photo.  Oh! That was some fun shopping)

Damson is the third project that I've made from Ysolda Teague's collection of patterns, Whimsical Little Knits 2, which means that purchase was officially a good investment.  One of the things that I liked about it was that it consisted primarily of garter stitch, making it a perfect project for subway riding and foreign film watching.  As with Ysolda's other patterns, it was clearly written and had both charted and written out instructions.  The mistakes that I made were entirely knitter's errors, and for once in my knittig career, I ripped back to fix them.  I decided I've been kitting for too long now to walk about in a garment with noticeable errors, and the yarn was sticky enough that I didn't have to worry about the entire thing unravelling on my.

And about the yarn: it was an unusual color choice for me, but I won it is a yarn swap and immediately felt very, VERY possessive of it.  Something about its speckled golden color made me happy (photo 1 is the most accurate representation of the color).  Easy to work with, Sena is 100% superwash merino that was soft while knitting, and it fuzzed up slightly and softened even more after blocking.  I'll most definitly buy more once I'm off this yarn diet.  Based on other people's Ravelry notes, I knew that I wouldn't have enough of the Sena to finish the shawl, so I worked the last three rows using Muthoni, another of Okay Knits hand-dyed yarns, that was leftover from my Spring Cable socks. I'm rather pleased with the result, if I do say so myself.

Recession Shopping

That's me, dressed like a milchmädchen and smiling like the village idiot.   But I've good reason to be so happy: all that brand-new-to-me yarn!

Last Saturday, Yarnydays organized a yarn swap for members of our knit/crochet group.  It might not sound like such a big deal, but it kind of was.  She's quite organized, and so it was quite organized, which made it both easy and fun. The general idea of a yarn swap is intuitive: bring yarn and leave with different yarn, but there's really a bit more to it than that.  I spent several days making piles of yarn to swap, then pulling yarn out of the pile because I thought I should keep it, then putting it back in the pile, reasoning that I'd had it for two years and it had yet to see any action, blah blah blah, so clearly I couldn't be that attached to it.  I later found out I wasn't the only one suffering from that back-and-forth anxiety.  It all worked out in the end, though.  See:

In fact, it was a little batshit insane.  We started the day with a delicious homemade Indian meal and some vino and then started swapping.  We were allowed to being whole and partial skeins, although partials had to be weighed so that yardage could be estimated and proper point values assigned (1 pt for $1-$5 dollar skeins, 2 pts for $5-$10 skeins, etc.). Clear and simple, so I would recommend the scheme to anyone contemplating a swap of any sort, but it involved a bit of advance work. 

Looking at and fingering all of the yarns, imagining how I might use them, was really exciting. Almost as exciting was seeing someone else fawn over one of my "discards".  It felt like "Oh, you have a new home with someone who will appreciate you more than I have.  Go forth and realize your potential!  Fly! FLY!!!

I juts went crazy  there.

Anyway, we drew names and took turns making our selections in rounds, so as to avoid the craziness that is the Barney's Warehouse Sale.  It was all very civilized. And fun.

When I got up on Sunday and came upstairs to make myself some coffee, I saw the pile of new yarn, I had a really unexpected reaction.  I felt a little depressed.  There was just so much yarn, an embarrassment of riches, really, and when combined with the rest of my stash, I was overwhelmed.  So, I sat down and sorted and bagged yarn for about 2 1/2 hours and hatched a plan that I knew would result in the immediate diminishment of my stash: I started crocheting an afghan.

The pattern is Ruby Hexagon by Novamade, and while I'm only 1/3 of the way finished, I can already tell it's going to make me very happy. 

Have you seen the new Ron Jeremy?

Not what you expected?  Sorry.  This is The Other Hedgehog,  the one that's destined for a comfy life in Washington, DC at the home of my friend, Keira.  We've known each other since 2nd grade,  which makes her my oldest friend.  Back in the day, she had a fondness for hedgehogs.  Hedgehogs and Steiff bears.  And clogs.  And wrap skirts.  But I digress.  I've been wanting to make this for her since I first saw it, and thought April 1st would be the perfect occasion. Because it's her birthday.  I hope she likes it.  But look at him?  How could she not!

Details:

Pattern: Smith, by Ysolda Teague

Yarn: Valley Yarns Valley Superwash

Needles: 3.75mm & 4.5mm

I'm not talkin' 'bout the linen

And neither was he. 

I grew up listening to a lot of radio in the 70s and 80s, and still have a warm spot in my heart for Lite FM music.  Todd Rundgren. Janice Ian.  Kenny Loggins.  One of the first adult albums that I ever bought was Juice, by Juice Newton, and that Wildfire song about the horse that breaks out of its stables during a storm used to make me cry.  I think Lite FM music is appealing because it's simple and straightforward, sometimes deceptively so.  You're doing your thing, singing along, until one day, a friend asks "What did you just say?"

So it was with the England Dan & John Ford Coley (yeah, what the hell??) classic "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight."  I was a college graduate by the time I realized the chorus wasn't:

      I'm not talkin' 'bout the linen

     And I don't want to change your eyes

I'd always thought the linens in question were a metaphor for something, a more permanent relationship, like how people register for linens when they get engaged.  You know, like "Hey baby, I'm not talking about getting monogrammed linens or anything; I just thought we could get together tonight and, you know, enjoy that warm wind that's blowing. By the way, you've got really pretty eyes. What are they, brown?"

Turns out I was wrong, but not so far off.  What he wasn't talking about was moving in, and what he didn't want to do was change her life.  But that's how is goes sometimes with something simple: you can't see the forest for the trees and flub it up.

Posting's been hard lately because I've been working on some longer-term projects and so haven;t finished anything since the potholders earlier this month.  One project is particularly exciting: a modern Log Cabon afghan for some frineds of mine currently living in Seattle.  They both have a definite sense of aesthetics, which has made this an easier project than one might expect.  I'm about one fourth of the way through the project and am really enjoying it. 

The size of each square makes this a perfect portable subway project, and the simplicity of the garter stitch means I can watch foreign language films again!  Note, please, that orange is overrepresented thus far because I'm trying to work through one color at a time.  So, two orange and green squares, two orange and blue squares, two blue and yellow, two yellow and red, two red and purple, two purple and green and many brown and grey.  One thing I haven't planned is how I'm going to piece all of the squares together.  I'm not concerned about the method, but I am a bit worried about what color yarn I should use.  Any thought swoudl be appreciated.

It's a beautiful, sunny and crisp day.  I plan to enjoy it, and hope you do too.

Peep!

My friend Lauren is a candy person.  I have a sweet tooth, but I like my sugar mixed with fat or starch, like in ice cream or cake.  Lauren likes the pure stuff: gummi bears, sweet-n-sours, merangue, licorice and Peeps.  Oh, how she loves a Peep.  She especially likes a stale Peep. I've been sending them ever year since she moved to Paris.  Yes, the French may  have macarons, madelines and Maison du Chocolate, but America is the home of Just Born candy and the Marshmallow Peep.  And what do I have?  Two knitting needles and a skein of novelty yarn:

Pattern: My own (see below)

Yarn: Patons Be Mine

Needles:  4.5mm

I found a few Peep patterns on Ravelry, but none of them were quite right, so I found a picture of a Peep online and uploaded it to microrevolt.org, which is a neato site that can convert any image into a knitter's grid.  And then I started knitting. I wanted the Peep to have depth, like a real life Peep, so I knit a front and back panel and 5 stitch wide side panel, then sewed the bottom to the side, then sewed the top.  I stuffed it with a natural cotton stuffing, which is sure to get hard and packed down, but I love cotton. 

I haven't made many toys before, but this was fun!  I mean, I knew it would be silly, so I think that took a lot of performance pressure off of me.  Still, I'm really proud of how it turned out.  A little wonky, like a real Peep, but sweet.  And I figured it out on my own, which is unusual for me.  I tend to be a pattern follower, but going commando worked out for me this time.  The yarn is a weird, ribbony novelty yarn, which I don;t usually use.  I lean towards natural fabrics, but nothing could have been better for a squishy Peep.  It's super soft and plush feeling.  Lauren will be in town next weekend, and I can't wait to surprise her with this little goofball.

Edited to add Recipe for Peep (bunny version):

Materials

Yarn: 1 skein Patons Be Mine (95 yards of bulky weight 100% nylon novelty yarn), or other similar yarn

Needles: 4.5mm (or needles 2-3 sizes smaller than generally recommended for the yarn)

Gauge: Unimportant, but the resulting fabric should be sufficiently dense that the stuffing won’t show through when Peep is stuffed.

Other: Small amount of cotton or nylon stuffing (I used Sweet Dreams 100% Cotton Stuffing, and estimate it took less than 1/20th of the bag to stuff the Peep); small amount of black yarn for Peep eyes and nose.

The Peep is knit in three pieces: front, back and side panel. Because the yarn I used was fluffy and bumpy, I knit my Peep entirely in garter stitch, and one cannot tell. If you’re using a smoother yarn, you might want to work your Peep in stockinette. Or not. It depends on your aesthetics.

Note: I worked all increases and decreases one stitch in from the end of the rows (i.e. in the 2nd stitch and the penultimate stitch) in an effort to achieve smoother edges.

Body (make 2 panels):

Cast on 15 stitches. Knit 1 row.
Increase 1 stitch at each end, every other row 3x (21 st).
Knit 8 rows straight.
Decrease 1 stitch at each end of the following row (19 st) Repeat every 3rd row, 2x (15 st).
Decrease 1 stitch at each end of the following row (13 st).
Knit 1 row straight.
Increase 1 stitch at each end of the following row. Repeat every 2nd row 2 (19 st).
Work 5 rows even.

Begin ears:
Decrease 1 stitch at each end of every row 4x (11 st).
Increase 1 stitch at each end every row 2x, then every other row 2x (19st).

Divide ears:
Knit 10 st, turn and b/o 1 st. Knit to 2nd to last stitch, increase 1 st, knit 1 st.
Knit 1 row even.
Decrease at beginning of the next row and every 2nd row until 5 st. remain. Bind off.
Return to live stitches for other ear, reverse shaping & bind off.

Side panel:
Cast on 5 stitches. Knit until side band is long enough to wrap around the entire circumference of the Peep (I knit about 12 inches, then started sewing the side panel to one of the fronts, then knit more of the side panel, then sewed more of it to the front panel, etc until I had only an inch or so more to knit on the side panel). Sew the long edge of the side panel strip to the edge of one of the Peep bodies (I used a back stitch, which was almost invisible due to the fluffy nature of my yarn; you may wish to use a tidier method if you are using smoother yarn). Sew the short ends of the side panel together to complete the side body of the Peep.

The side panel, now side body, of the Peep will be floppy and limp at this point, but have no fear! It will stand erect once stuffed (OK, I’ll try to keep it PG from here on out).

Sew eyes and nose onto second body piece using black yarn.

Repeat stitching process on second panel, making sure that the Peep’s new face is facing up. I started sewing at the bottom, where any ugliness or extra bulk caused by securing yarn ends, etc., would be less noticeable. Once you’ve sewn approx. three-fourths of the final piece to the side panel, you should begin stuffing the Peep. I tried not to overstuff, because I wanted my Peep to be a bit flat, like an actual Peep.

Continue sewing and stuffing until you have finished to your satisfaction. Weave in ends

I gotta say, it was a good day

From sun up to sundown, this was a really superior day. The key may have been the 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep I gpt last night.  Or maybe it was the butteed toast I made with the most delicious bread from the farmers' market. It could have been the lack of crowds at my laundromat that allowed me to sail through that hassle of a task, but it could also have been that I remembered to bring some fabric remnants and stained garments to the textile recycling booth at the farmer's market.  One would not be crazy to think that my day was brightened by my brand new and freshly laundered bedding, which looks amazing on my bed and is a good step towards transforming my boudoir into a sleep haven.  Also making me happy was the aroma of chicken stock simmering on my stove for five hours.  Another good guess would be that I was grossly overdressed when I set out on a six mile run wearing tights, a long sleeved tee and windbreaker, beause it was 54 degrees, sunny and gorgeous!  Any of these would have been enough to put a check in the Nice Day column, but all of these combined make me feel really happy and blessed. 

Speaking of happy, I've a friend who's having a birthday on Monday.  We've known each other since college, and have so many little, quirky things in common (including a love of Sweden and things Swedish), it's really pretty neat.  When he travels (he's a travelwriter, so he travels a lot) he often brings me home a little something, which I love.  I don't care if it's a magnet from the airport, I love little gifts from afar; they really say "Hey, I thought of you during my travels."  I thiught it would be appropriate, then, for me to let him know that "Hey, I appreciate your friendship."  So I made these for him:

Pattern:

(L) Improvised from #603 in The Encyclopedia of Kitting and Crochet Stitch Patterns

R:  Clock Hotpad, by Carol Schoenfelder

Yarn: Adrafil India Cotton & Austerman Algarve Grande

Hook: 3.25mm

Alex really likes crafty things and old-fashioned things, so I think he will really appreciate these.  They're doublesided, for extra protection, and 100% cotton, for easy care.  It was an easy decision, making these.  I've been on a bit of a potholder kick recently.  It started with a swap that I joined through Ravelry.  We're to make 5 potholders in the same pattern, send them to the organizers, and we'll receive 5 other potholders in return.  I finished mine last week.

All variations on the Clockpad pattern, all 100% cotton.  The yarns are various odds and ends I had in my stash, plus some given to me by pal Oiyi.  These really are such fun to make, and dare I say practical?  I know some people might not thing so, but I grew up using crochet potholders and emroidered floursack tea towels, sleeping on pillows with tatted lace edges.  Make pretty things and use pretty things and your life will be the richer for it!
I've one more little project to share before heading off, totally superfluous, totally selfish and totally satisfying:

Pattern: Toast, by Leslie Friend

Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed

Needles: 3.5mm & 3.75mm

I have several pair of fingerless mittens, now.  Striped, multicolored and acid pink.  But my wardrobe was lacking a simple, grey pair, a pair that would go with almost everything.  Aside fron using a lighter weight yarn that originally called for, I made little slits for my thumb.  I didn't want to make full on thumbs, as those can impede my stereotactic abilities when fishing for keys in my bag, but I was wary of going totally thumbless.  The slits were a happy compromise and have proven themselves useful.

The yarn was left over from a shawl, Spring Bandit, that I made for my cousin Paula last summer.  It's a lovely and light cotton, silk and wool blend, so good for spring, shich is upon us.  In fact, it was too hot today to even wear these.  No matter, as I know it will chill up again, and when it does, I'll be ready.

Now, because everyone should have a good day of their own, I'll leave you with this little ditty.  A classic from the early 1990s by O'Shea James, although perhaps you know him by his industry name, Ice Cube. Enjoy.