The kind you find in a second hand store

If you recognize that line, you probably know what's coming next.

Yeah, baby: a raspberry beret.

A week ago, this project wasn't on my mind, was no where near the horizon.  Then my friend Emily from my knitting group passed on some information about a yarn store's going-out-of-business sale.  Fresh off a six-month long yarn buying moratorium, I kind of lost my mind.  But 40% off?  COME on!  I felt compelled to start working with some of the newly purchased yarn immediately, and so I did.

Details:

Pattern: Rose Red, by Ysolda Teague

Yarn: Mirasol Yarn Qina

Needles: US6/4.0mm

Started: July 16

Finished: July 17

This yarn was wonderful to work with.  It's an alpaca/bamboo blend, so you can imagine how soft it is.  It was so smooth with a great hand, and I love the slight fuzz.  I also really enjoyed working this pattern.  Like everything I've ever knit by Ysolda, it was clearly written and well edited, with both written and charted instructions.  I love working crochet with diagrams, but for knitting I often prefer written directions.  I find it's easier for me to keep my place, and I cannot for life of me remember all of the chart symbols. 

Another neat thing about Rose Red is that it has directions for making three different sizes!  I've found that most hat patterns are written in one size only, so that if you are like me and have a large head, you have to start fiddling with numbers and patterns.  I can't be bothered when a pattern contains cables and leaf/lace work.  Also, it's annoying to pay for something only to have to rejigger it on my own.  So kudos to yo, Ysolda Teague, and thank you for another great pattern.

My plan is to mail this off to its recepient later this week.  She and her family have decamped to Sweden for the sumemr, where her husband is from and where his family is.  So lucky!  Sweden in summer is beautiful and a little bit magical, if you ask me.

There's something else I've been meaning to share: a hexagon blanket started, and finished long ago.

 

Details:

Pattern: Ruby Hexagon Blanket, by Nova Seals

Yarn: many, many different and unknown worsted & DK weights

Hook: 4.5mm

Started: April 4

Finished: April 15

I was inspired to make this by my friend Jane, who crocheted a beautiful version out of sock yarn.  I had neither the stash or the patience to make this out of sock yarn, but worsteds I had in abundance.  Hexagons appeals to the side of me that likes geometric shapes, an attraction which goes way back.  When I was in 8th grade, I had 2 twin beds in my bedroom, a la Richie Cunningham, and they were covered with matching comforters: white with a pale grey large-scale grid, on top of which were screened geometric shapes in primary colors.  It felt very Samantha Baker.    

But I digress. 

The afghan.  I haven't measured it, but it's long enough for me to cover up while lying on the couch, and I'm 5'7 3/4".  My one impracticality with this project was that not all of the yarn that I used is machine washable. I would never saddle a loved one with burden like this, but forr me it's fine.  I'll either hand wash, dry clean or take my chances on the gentle cycle.  If it gets ruined, I can make another.

A boy's best friend is his mother

At least that's what Mrs. Bates always told Norman.

I rememebr the first time I ever saw Psycho, it as a sunny Saturday afternoon when I was about 12.  That it was the afternoon is significant, because it cut down dramatically on the terror and suspense which characterizes the film.  It's hard to be creeped out when the sun is shining and birds are chirping and your mother's in the kitchen cleaning with Pine Sol.  And while I didn't find the movie to be particularly terrifying, it was creepy, especially Norman's man-boy schtick and his creepy semi-sexual relationship with his mother.  You don't have to be a Jungian psychoanlyst to know that their relationship was simply not healthy. She was controlling, he was dependent.  In a word, they were too close.

Details:

Pattern: Daphne and Delilah, the Momma and Baby Monster, by Rebecca Danger

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft rites (green), Red Heart Super Saver Solids (purple)

Needles: US 5/3.75mm

Started: July 7

Finished: July 9

I started little Mother and Norman Bates right after I finished Joan and Christina Crawford.  I had no recepient in mind; I was just working with an eye towards reducing my stash.  As it turned out, my friend Jum needed a baby gift to send to some friends in Italy, so these guys will be headed over the Atlantic pretty soon.  Jim was worried about the button eyes being a choking hazard, so I duplicate stitched the eyes inetsad.  The yelow and squarish shape gives them an alien vibe, which I like.  One of fun things about making toys instead of garments is that improvisation is easier and the results seldom ruinous.

 

In this era of helicopter parenting, folks sometimes have a hard time distinguishing where their needs end and their children's begin.  Let the Bates family serve as a cautionary tale.  Don't think it's possible to be "too close" with your child?  Well, then, please watch this:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8CGFF3rlSo&feature=related

It must be love

I have a new love.

Pretty, right?  She played a role in the adventures of my last post, but I didn't really introduce her.

I'd been thinking of getting a new bike for the past two years, but kept putting it on hold for a variety of reasons, the most significant of which was that I already had a bike. But mine was a men's model mountain bike and I wanted a ladies style cruiser: upright and cute.  Then, one Saturday  in April as I was walking to the farmer's market with my compost, I saw a vendor unloading vintage bikes to sell at the Brooklyn Flea.  I almost panicked, I was so excited!  And this was just a week before my birthday, so you know, fate. I took her for a test ride and then took her home.  Thus began our romance.

But like any relationship, it's had it's ups and downs.  There was a magical, misty ride to Sunset Park for dim sum with Jane and Penelope, and a sunny sojourn to meet up with my knitters on the Upper West Side.  Oh!  And then there was the flat (pictured above - front tire) that stopped me a mile from my apartment.  It's much harder to walk a bike with a flat tire than one might expect. Just after that was fixed, we had some more serious mechanical difficulties involving my gear shift.  Merrily peddling along was I when I noticed the bike wouldn't stay in gear.  I was able to get it to cooperate only by manually holding the gear shift in place; no mean feat when climbing a hill. Then, while crossing the Manhattan Bridge I heard the unmistakable ping! ping!  that told me bits and pieces were flying off of my ride.  Turns out that bikes, like people, have history and baggage, and when you get one that's approaching 40, this baggage can present challenges.  But a little patience and the help of some friends (at Gotham Bikes in TriBeCa) can do wonders, and for the past four weeks, my lady love and I have been getting along fantastically well. 

She takes me to work, and this commute has changed my life.  We had a  heat wave last week in New York, and she brought me sweet relief from oppressively hot and subway platforms. 

No longer am I relegated to steerage class on New York City Transit!  The sun, the air, the vistas all make me so happy.  I usually take the Manhattan Brodge, as it has far less pedestrian traffic than the Brooklyn Bridge, and so is an easier and more relaxing ride.

That't the Williamsburg Bridge in the distance.  New York isn't known for it's bridges, as is my hometown of Portland, OR, but we really do have quite a few here, and they're (msostly) beautiful  When crossing a bridge on foot or bicycle I think a lot about the engineering and physical efforts that went in to building it. Imagine how different our lives would be if we didn' have bridges!

Coming off the bridge on the Manhattan side, I see this man every morning.  He's meditating.  Right off of Canal Street.  He don't mess around.

Not all of the ride is traditionally scenic; nevertheless, I find it charming. Like this here: one woman is doing morning tai chi exercises.  The other is walking backwards.  Hmm . . .

Here we are, under the FDR. 

Over the past few years, our city government has established a lot of bike lanes.  Some are painted green for high visibility and some are even separated from car traffic by physical barriers.  They make riding much more fun and safe. 

A view of DUMBO and Vinegar Hill, and a bit of my beloved Manhattan Bridge.

For me to go on and on like this, it must be love.

No Wire Hangers!

I love long weekends.  That's not exactly revelatory; I think everyone loves a long weekend.  Whan I have one, I susally spend one day running errands and being terribly efficient, one day being crafty/domestic, and one day is lost.  It makes for a nice balance and I come out of the weekend feeling both productive and refreshed.

Yesterday, July the 4th, was my crafty day.  It was super hot outside and I don't have a pool, so I didn't mind spending the entire day inside.  Besides, I had a bee on my bonet about starting and completing a project this long weekend, which made the scorcher a perfect time.  Around 7 am I started digging through my stash for some yarn, and by the end of the day, I had all but sewn together these little ones:

Details:

Pattern:  Daphne and Delilah, the Momma and Baby Monster, by Rebecca Danger

Yarn: unknown worsted weights (less than 70g each)

Needle: US 5/3.75mm

I've named them Joan and Christina Crawford after one of my favorite books and movies from childhood, Mommie Dearest.  You've seen it, right?  Vain and fading star Joan Crawford adopts a strong-willed little girl whom she names Christima.  They often dress alike, at least when in public.  They are rich and pretty, and everything seems perfect . . .until the cameras shut down and the fans are out of view, when Mommie Dearest's monstrous side comes out.  Oh, it is a hilariously and campy classic.

When I finished stitching them up this morning, I thought the Misses Crawford eserved a visit to Coney Island, so we hopped on my bike and away we went.

They look so happy, with nary a hint of the turmoil at home!  We enjoyed the boardwalk and while we didn't venture into the water today, we did have fun people watching.  Our time at Coney Island was brief, however because, again, it was super warm outside.  They just said 100 on the radio, which seems excessive, but it's hard to gauge when you're on a bike because of the self-created breeze. 

In any event, we are happy to be home and are thinking of indulging in some of the sour cherry compote that I made yesterday, perhaps with some Greek yoghurt and a sweet drop biscuit. Care to join?

Oh, and on the off chance that you haven't seen Mommie Dearest, here's one of the original trailers.  It's off the proverbial hook.

Help!

I thought I could control it.

 

But they're multiplying!

Can't be stopped!

Details:

Pattern: Crochet Flowers and Leaves, by Lucy of Attic 24

Yarn:  Drops Safran, Rowan 4-ply Cotton, Rowan Glace, Blue Sky Alpaca Skinny Cotton

Hook: 3.25mm

Vacation, all I ever wanted

You'll not often hear me complain about the weather, but I kind of especially love summer.  It's also my favorite time to visit my family.  Some poeple like Christmas, but I think that, as get-together occasion, it's kind of awful.  Airports are crowded, people are stressed, there's so much pressure.  Ugh.  But when I go to see my peeps during the summer, and it's invariably awesome.  My family's a lot of fun in general, but it's touching how they go out of their way to show me a good time when I visit. 

We like to eat and we're not opposed to bending an elbow, so this year there was a fish fry and a barbecue, several rhubarb desserts and the new Grain Belt beer.

Despite some record breaking heat (97 deg. one day,  which is bonkers for Minnesota in May), I spent a lot of time outside going for runs and walks.

One ambitious day I went running in the wetlands behind my Aunt Irene's house and ended up on my great-great-great grandfather's homestead, the place where he and his family settled when they came to Minnesota from Ohio.  That was pretty neat.  There's a grade school and water tower there now.  Could be worse (think strip mall).

Despite being there for a week and bringing THREE projects with me, I got very little knitting done.

 

I was having too much fun, I guess, with godsons

And friends

 

The feeling was mutual.

Whoa-oh, listen to the music!

I'm an only child who grew up not in a musical family, but in a house that was always, always filled with music.  Weekends I would wake late (I was a child nightowl), sun streaming in the house and music on the turntable.  My mom would usually be cleaning, so the house often smelled lemony-fresh.  My father would be sitting on the floor in front of his stereo making a mix tape. 

My father was the master of mix tapes. His weren't the kind we made for our little friends and crushes in high school and college, intended to convey how we felt about that person; my father's tapes were artful and adult, with fade-ins and outs and excellent flow.  They evoked a mood that was more collective than personal, more vibe than emotion.  The Commodores, B.B. King, Harold Melville and the Bluenotes, Isaac Hayes, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Rickie Lee Jones, Parliament, Earth, Wind and Fire, Smokey Robinson, Rufus with Chakha Khan, LaBelle (before Patti went out on her own), Rick James, Chic, The Doobie Brothers, Deniece Williams, The Brothers Johnson, Sugarhill Gang, ConFunkShun, Kurtis Blow, Tower of Power, early Elton John, Champagne, Kool and the Gang, Queen, Rose Royce: that was the music that filled my home as a little girl. 

Not just the home, our car, too.  A brown Ford Gran Torino with a sweet tape deck (also equipped with sweet equilizers; no mere "bass" and "treble" knobs for my father, uh-unh).  My dad liked to go for drives on the weekend and often I would accompany him.  He would nurse a Sapporo (it was legal to drink and drive back then) and I would have a Big Gulp.  I remember wearing shorts, and my legs would get sweaty and stick to the hot pleather seats, but I'd try not to complain.  We'd go to the drive-thru car wash and he'd vacuum the car, polish the tires.  He'd stop at a little store and buy me a pack of Hostess Sno-balls.  Sometimes we'd drive to the Black side of Portland where he grew up and get take out at Popeye's or Church's (we had only Kentucky Fried where we lived).  When we did that, we'd inevitably run into someone my dad grew up with.  All the while, his music played on the stereo.

My father and I weren't terribly close when I was growing up, but these outings were always super fun for me.  I felt special, like a little sidekick.

Why am I feeling so nostalgic?  Well, I recently had a birthday, so have been thinking a lot about the past.  Also, as I write this, there's sun coming in my window and I'm listening to a radio program on WKCR, the Columbia University radio station (89.9 FM if you're in the area, but they stream online in you're not).  The show is called Across 110th Street and features classic funk, soul and R&B; in short, it's the soundtrack to my childhood.  It's amazing.  I highly recommend checking it out if you are at all inclined (plus, it's nice to support independent radio).

So, like it says in my bio, my craftiness comes from the ladies in family tree, but my taste in music is all thanks to my dad.

Speaking of crafts, I've been keeping my fingers busy.

Pattern: Welsh Country Stockings, by Nancy Bush

Yarn: Cascade Heritage and Colinette Jitterbug

Needles: US 0/2.0mm & US1/2.25mm

Started: April 14

Finished: May 2

These socks were an early birthday present to myself.  I had been wanting to make them for close to two years.  In fact, they were the sole reason I purchased Nancy Bush's book, Folk Socks.  I made some modifications, inspired by my friend Okay Knits (ravlink).  As written, the pattern makes mid-calf length socks, which I feared would make me feel crazy, and I had two skeins (approx 800 meters) of the Cascasde Heritage that I'd purchased at The Point's going-out-of-business sale last spring, so I decided knee-high was the length.  The Jitterbug was also purchased on sale last fall.  I though the colors would go well together, which they do.  However . . .they are rather close tonally, so the diamond-dot colorwork at the top is a bit obscured.  I'm not too troubled, however, as I'd like to make them again.  Next time I'll just pick colors that contrast more starkley. 

The first sock took me 1 1/2 weeks to complete, but the second sock only took a week.  I'd had all of my modifications (calf increases and decreases) figured out already, and I'm starting to get the hang of sock construction, which is nice.  I felt such an intense sense of satisfasction when I finished these, that I immediatly (really, the same day) cast on for these.

Pattern: Simple Socks My Way, by Lena Gjerald

Yarn: Cascade Heritage and Koigu Premium Merino

Needles: US 0/2.0mm and US1/2.25mm

Started: May 2

Finished: May 9

I've been following Lena's blog A Wee Bit Knitty, for over a year now, and while she's Norwegian, she often posts in English.  I like her spirit and her projects, so I was quite happy when she wrote up her go-to sock pattern.  I made some modifications, including casting on more stitches, to accomodate my ankles and big feet (Eurropean 42s), and, for fun, worked a half-handkerchief heel, the instructions for which I found in the the Nancy Bush book. So, these were a pleasure to knit, and I learned a new constrution.  The colors are a bit more rock-and-roll than my usual color pallate, but I like them.

This has been a long and wordy post, so I'll close it by coming around full circle to where it began: music.  The Brothers Johnson performing one of my childhood, and current favorites, Strawberry Letter 23.  Dreamy, groovy and oh so nice.