Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Sock Camp

It's Tuesday -- the first full day -- at camp. If the connection wasn't frighteningly, painfully slow, I'd be posting pictures. That'll have to wait until I get home simply because the bandwidth (and my patience for low bandwidth) is minute.

That said, DANG! it's been an amazing day. If you are ever, ever in the fortunate position to hear Tina Newton talk about color -- what you see when you glance, and what you see when you *look* -- take that opportunity. And when she talks about translating what you see onto yarn and into dye? Pay very close attention.

On the first day of classes, my group got to dye yarn with Tina. Someone else said it, but I feel the same way. I could take that class every day this week and learn something entirely new.

Afternoon and evening involved making Joe's Crab Sack (a clever, no-sew ditty bag by Cockeyed) and a knit-based answer-and-question -- which, I should add, was won by the Fiddler Crabs. There are some smart people on that team. Fortunately, they let me tag along.

Tomorrow: cast offs with JC Briar. (Last year she taught cast ons. Gotta love symmetry!)

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Oh, honestly!

Wednesday night, knit night, knitting away on Bohus (which has received exactly zero attention from me in the past two weeks), when it occurs to me that maybe I should check length. Fumble around for tape measure, check... and it seems that I've knit about an inch more than I'd intended.



On the up side, I'm tall, and I'm not about to argue with a Long Enough Sweater. On the down side... I really do try to pay attention...

I need to do some arithmetic about the above-armpit length, and decide if I've now put the waist shaping on my hipbones (and need to rip that inch back) or if I'm going to be smugly pleased at the accidental length.

In the meantime, I've done exactly what any self-respecting knitter would do: cast on something else.

Here's Gardiner Yarn Works's "Toe The Line Shawl", by Chrissy Gardiner (and purchased at Twisted), in Blue Moon Fiber Arts's Geisha in Atomic #6.



(If you're puzzled by this logic, I suspect that you're not a knitter!)

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Wednesday Nights

Wednesday nights are supposed to be for spending time with my knitsibs (I warned Duffy that I was stealing "knitsibs").

Wednesday nights are for listening to Bobbie grump about the smell of the silk she's spinning (I love the smell of silk, but that's just me!)

Wednesday nights are for checking out what Cindy has going on, and trying to remember the bacon-based recipe for Kerin, and asking Tracy about the interview.

Wednesday nights are about seeing progress, including Judy's book, including knitting, including babies.

It's Wednesday night... and instead of catching up with folks, I've just finished replacing yet another set of headlights on my much-loved Subaru.

Feh.

p.s. The "grown up" part of me is glad that a) I can change my own headlights and b) that's my biggest grumble about tonight. Still, it does seem odd that I've had to replace both headlights in less than a year...

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Lost in Translation

My German is pretty good. I'm not sure if it's this good...

A skein of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Geisha in Atomic 6 is suggesting that, if I exert a little brain power, it might just be possible.

It's "suggesting" rather loudly too. The Geisha is upstairs at the other end of the house, and I can hear it down here in the kitchen.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Dare I say it?

I think, think, think that there may be actual progress on the Bohus.



(funny how "think" looks misspelled...)

Saturday was a spur-of-the-moment, let's go! day with TracyBird. The original plan was to meet at the Beaverton Powell's for coffee and some knitting after I went looking for a book I needed.

Bought the book, decided that it was feeling lunch-ish, remembered that Abundant had a lovely lunch counter, and headed to the East Side... where we serendipitously ran into Duffy working on her Queen Anne's Lace shawl. Chicken chili and, dang!, what was it called? Mocha coffee with cinnamon and chili? 'Twas good! Lunch, and yarny goodness? I can see why people like this store so much!

Several pleasant hours passed (at the risk of sounding like Jane Austen). What fun to just chat and knit with folks who Get It!

Then Tracy and I headed north to Twisted. Great people, lots of tea varieties when you need a moment to think, yarny goodness... I can see why people like this store so much!

More pleasant hours passed and, as a result, I can see Serious Progress on the Bohus. Even better, it's close enough to gauge that I think (there's that word again) that I may let it live.