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Whew! It's Friday already. Where did the week go? It's that time of year when the days are in a race with each other, a race to see which one can whiz by the fastest. In the end they all go by so quickly they are but a blur in my memory.
While I can't make time slow down or stand still, I can mark time with my knitting. If I have a meeting or an appointment, I always know I'll have time for knitting. The time spent waiting for kids is more time for knitting. I've started to look forward to those meetings, appointments and waits as designated time for knitting. While I can't always control the pace of my days, I can sweeten them a bit with time for knitting.
Last weekend I cast on another round of projects. Most of them have received attention off and on over the week. The Man Mitts are coming along nicely. I don't have a decent picture - maybe next time. They seem like they will be a good fit, but only time will tell.
My obsession with Pogona is still going strong. I made a Gourd colored one but am reserving that one as a booth sample. I had no choice but to cast on another one for myself.
This gray colorway, Pumice, is equally as striking as the Gourd. I had a bit of a hiccup while doing set up rows during a meeting, but I'm back on track now. I love the rhythm of this pattern - relaxing but not totally mindless. I'm about to start the third section which will carry me to the end.
My color inspiration for the week comes from a park where the wooden fence posts are covered with this moss-like growth.
Day-glo green. A striking contrast to brown leaves and bare trees.
I'm coming off a fiber filled weekend. Last week I told myself I was going to devote one weekend day just to knitting. I did that and more. On Friday I went to the Common Cod Fiber Guild meeting. The guest speakers were Debbie Brisson (aka Stitchy McYarnpants) and Caro Sheridan (aka Splityarn). They told the story of how their book, Knitting It Old School, came to be. They discussed their passion for vintage knitwear and how they wrote and re-wrote the book proposal. Then they talked about the writing, the designs, the samples and the photography sessions in LA.
As one of the door prizes they gave away a signed copy of their book. Since I had already scored a Bob Hope parking spot for the evening, you can imagine my surprise when I won a copy of the book.
Thank you! I appreciate vintage knitwear and will enjoy this book of updated vintage patterns. Debbie and Caro were very entertaining and witty. If you get a chance to hear them talk, you won't be disappointed.
This weekend included one day to focus on knitting without cooking, cleaning, laundry and driving. One day may seem like a lot, but when I began to survey all the projects and all the potential projects there suddenly wasn't much time. My strategy was to spend a bit of time on a couple of projects rather than work exclusively on one. I started off by finishing my Maine Morning Mitts. Sorry I don't have a photo - there wasn't a model available.
From there I moved on to Man Mitts. I had a request for fingerless mitts with this specific yarn, a Shetland wool from Scotland.
I had an issue with gauge and had to knit the cuff twice. Once I started the thumb gusset I decided to turn my attention to another project.
I've been stuck on Stephen West designs, and that theme continued this weekend. This yarn has been teasing me for the last month or so.
Gray has become one of my favorite colors, and I love the variation in this colorway. This is Dirty Water DyeWorks Lillian, colorway Pumice. I had it earmarked for Pogona so I cast on. I didn't do much work on it other than to knit through the set up rows. Pogona is my designated companion for all the meetings and waiting time this week.
Finally, I contemplated this pattern, one that has been on my list for a while. Rather than fight it, I decided to go with the flow and cast on one more project.
More Stephen West - this time Little Colonnade. This yarn is the mohair/cormo blend from Buckwheat Bridge Angoras. I love the little orange flecks and can't wait to watch this one unfold. Now that my needles are stocked with new projects, I should be busy for a while.
I leave you with this pattern to ponder - Knitted Kaleidocycles. If you want to see them in action, go here. I'm fascinated with the math and the construction involved. Hours and hours of entertainment, both in making and in using them.
Last week I was mesmerized with Pogona (Ravelry link). The magic lasted through the weekend. Before I knew it, Pogona was off the needles - a limp, lifeless heap in my lap.
Without wasting a moment I gave it a bath and put it on the wires.
Time to dry.
Over the years I've used different methods for blocking. For a long time I loved using all pins. I think it reminded me of a past life when I had time for sewing. Then I used a combination of pins and thin, smooth yarn as a guide.
Lately my preference is blocking wires. They work especially well with a piece like Pogona that has straight lines and a geometric look.
Pogona has side-by-side panels of knit and purl.
The perfect combination for contrast and texture.
By the end of the day Pogona was dry and ready for wear.
The yarn is Dirty Water DyeWorks Lillian, colorway Gourd. Lillian is 100% Superwash Merino, 100g / 400yd. Lillian is firmly plied creating a yarn with spring and bounce. You may remember seeing this same colorway in Paula. I liked it so much I had to repeat it.
Pogona is a delightful pattern to work. It was my traveling companion for a week and was easy to pick up and put down. And yes, I could talk and work on it at the same time.
I can't say enough good things about the finished product. Pogona has wonderful drape and can be worn several ways. The design is practical yet elegant. With the geometric shaping it stays in place. There's no need to constantly rearrange it. I will definitely make Pogona again.
This past weekend was the annual Head Of The Charles Regatta. It's the world's largest two day rowing event and attracts people from all over the world. As the name implies it's held on the Charles River.
Rowing may look easy, but it's hard work. Those rowers are in excellent shape.
And for those of us who don't row, it's fun to watch.
You can't beat a walk along the river on a nice fall day.
I recently came across a discussion about knooking - knitting with a hook. Using a crochet hook that has been adapted with a cable on the end it's possible to knit and purl with the hook. The cable acts like the second knitting needle and holds the live stitches. Someone was thinking outside the box when they came up with this one.
I haven't thoroughly explored knooking. For instance I'm not sure if it's possible to do all the knitting techniques with knooking - increases, decreases, cables. If you're interested, there's a Ravelry group devoted to the technique, and YouTube has video clips of knooking to create the knit stitch and the purl stitch. Maybe one day I'll have time to play around with this intriguing technique.
On the needles . . . I've been cruising right along on my latest obsession.
This is Pogona (Ravelry link) by Stephen West. A while back I made Herbivore (Ravelry link) also by Stephen West.
As with many shawl-type garments the construction starts small and grows larger. Stephen has fun with geometric shapes to create interesting yet practical garments.
Pogona is basically a two row repeat. Once I established the repeat, it was smooth sailing.
Now I'm at the point where the stitch count has increased significantly and the rows are taking longer and longer to complete. A single two-row repeat increases the stitch count by 14.
A view of the center section.
It reminds me of a giant piece of candy corn. At this rate I'm sure Pogona won't be on the needles much longer.
One of our fall rituals is roasting New Mexico green chile. If you're ever in New Mexico in the fall, you will see large roasters at grocery stores and farmers' markets. You can get fresh green chile roasted right there on the spot. The air is filled with the pungent, smokey aroma of the roasting peppers.
I always order fresh green chile in the fall. This year I kept putting it off until one day I realized (with prodding from my friend Martie) that the end of the season was upon us. I placed my order just in time and yesterday received my shipment.
Fresh and shiny and green. But not for long.
This week my color inspiration is green chile from the Land of Enchantment.
Let the roasting begin!
