Imagine When Spring

Inspired by Glenna's post about showing up for your knitting, I sat down and committed to getting something done. You know what? Glenna is right. If you just show up and knit the darn thing, it actually gets done. In fact, the shawl came off the block several days ago but the weather has been conspiring against photography. Finally the sun came gloriously out for the first day of spring and I got many lovely shots; happily so, as this Imagine When shawl is off to its gifting recipient soon.

I am delighted with my work. The decisions about where to place the solid areas among the short rows seem to have been the right ones. I love the asymmetry of this pattern and the open work rows are delightful. 

In the spirit of showing up, I have also been progressing well on the sparkly socks and they should be ready for their own photo shoot by tomorrow.

Yarn: Sweet Georgia Sock and Koigu KPPPM
Pattern: Imagine When

The Hat That Wasn't

A skein of Bartlettyarns wool in a beautiful berry tone has been in my stash since January 2013. I purchased it at VK Live in New York so, even though it is a reliable and economical wool (read not trendy), it had a special place in my heart. I had always intended it to be winter hat.

Apparently, the yarn had other ideas.

A few months ago I cast on a pattern only to frog a few weeks later because of bad results. Then last month, I cast on yet another beret, the same Paton's pattern I've made a half dozen times before. I finished quickly; seamed and blocked it in a flash, only to discover that the finished product was mysteriously HUGE. Rip again.

So, last week, I started once again. I made the necessary adjustments for the aran weight of the yarn and it was all going so well... 
Then last night, while Christmas shopping I discovered that my knitting had at some point, leaped out of my shopping bag. I retraced my steps to every place I had visited in the previous hour but to no avail. It is gone forever.

This yarn really did not want to live life as my new hat. It took a good set of needles with it.

So here is a sneak peak at The Daughter's gift instead. A simple cowl that gave me no trouble whatever.

Gift Knitting Backlog

It has become painfully obvious that my GAL 2014 participation is likely doomed to failure. Every way I turn, there are bumps in my holiday gift knitting. As I only committed to three items, this is a little depressing.

I always, always, give The Daughter a little knitted something. This year I decided to just re-knit her favourite mittens in a different colour. What could be easier? Yet, somehow, I got the shaping all wrong and much ripping was needed. A loss of precious time was the result.

Then my new beau declared that the gift most likely to warm his holiday heart would be a hand knit scarf from Yours Truly. I tried to explain to him that the ideal scarf he described is really a woven one, but he's a Muggle (a dear one) and didn't really get it. I've decided that a fingering weight linen stitch is most likely to approximate what he wants. Yarn choice and swatching has held me up because I want it to be perfect. The thing is not even cast on yet.

So, the calm days of pub knitting with a pint and a poem are over for now. I shall return to such pursuits in the slower days of january. This little shawl, which seemed like such a good idea, will get finished - just not in time for Christmas.

Lace

I've become quite fond of knitting lace. There is a wonderful moment during each lace project when one stops seeing the paper instructions and starts to see the pattern emerge in the yarn under the hands. From then on, you're in the zone. It flows organically, almost like sculpting, and the shapes appear one by one, row by row. Love it.
What I am not fond of is knitting to deadline. This is why I seldom knit big gifts. However, when my niece announced she was marrying, I knew I wanted to give an heirloom type gift along with whatever household doodad I chose from the registry.Wow, the shower came fast! Before I knew it, it was 10 days away with only a third of the shawl complete. I actually had to count the rows and budget rows-per-day in order to even have a hope of finishing on time. Then I decided to add one more repeat because it really was too small to start the border. Then I decided to bead the border. Because I am crazy.

It was painful, especially the midnight blocking the night before wrapping. These photos were taken just before popping it into a gift bag. Yet, I think it was worth it. The Zephyr wool/silk lace has that dry shiny crunch that I find so sensual in some silks and the beads add a lovely weight to the whole thing. My niece seemed to like it very much.

Wishing Cakes

Today was my birthday.


Flashback. My fortieth birthday was a piercing disaster.  Downright painful. Skipping the details, I can say that it was the point at which I went from expecting little, to expecting nothing. Not a nice place to be. The beginning of the end of my marriage?  If I had to put money on it, I'd say, yes, it was.
Since then, every year, I've felt a mixture of nerves and ambivalence toward my approaching birthday.  I usually ignore the day all together. My therapist used to tell me I had to reclaim the celebration of my birth. Ask for what I want. This year I decided to do it. Face that sucker down hard. But what is it exactly, that I want? 
I want recognition and well wishes. I want nice thoughts and good Karma.  So I bought two dozen grocery store cupcakes, a pack of dollar store candles and a lighter.  I brought them to work and later to knit night.  I handed out lit candle decorated cupcakes and asked people to make sincere wishes on my behalf while blowing them out.  The knitters got it immediately.  "What a great idea!", I heard more than once.  The co-workers, though confused,  played along too. The Beautiful Daughter sent out a breakfast wish this morning with cupcake and tea. I feel the warm energy of all those good thoughts tonight. I really do.


Peace. Success. Love. Health. Kisses. Silk. Creativity. Friendship.
These are the wishes I sent out into the air today.
One lovely knitter told me that while she was blowing out her candle, she thought the words, 'Cashmere' and 'Free". 


Happy Birthday.

Mudder's Day

It was a lovely day for two mothers today.
The Daughter woke me with tea in bed and we snuggled and sipped. Then, on the dining room table was this lovely gift of flowers, jewellery and adorable card. Ahh...

After lunch we made our planned trip to the Toronto Humane Society to populate this apartment with a cat. It was such a difficult decision to leave all three family cats at the house with the ex. They just love each other, not to mention their back garden, so much, that I couldn't stand to split them up. I miss them very much. Various factors have contributed to the continuous putting off of getting cats of my own - not the least of which was my hesitance to "replace" my beloved former herd.

Anyway, today was the day and off we went in search of a nice indoor singleton. Well plans never quite work out do they? We were drawn again and again to the cage of this Mother/Daughter duo. They'd been surrendered by their former owner about five weeks ago and were becoming depressed. They've lost weight and were losing hope. They needed out of there. Now they're hiding under The Daughter's bed but will let us stick our arm in and pat them. It will take some time, but us four girls are going to get along just fine.

Their original names are Mommy and Pooky. Unbearable. We've changed them to Molly and Lucy which we figure sound enough alike to keep the cats comfortable.

Welcome Lucy and Molly!