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This past Sunday I was taking my usual drive through town. I was crossing the Mass Ave Bridge when I spotted someone decorating the bridge with yarn. Or at least that's what I thought I saw. I wasn't sufficiently caffeinated and thought maybe I was imagining the whole thing. I was scheduled to be someplace else but told myself I would come back and investigate further.
Which is what I did. To my delight I discovered colorful yarn art along the bridge.
This installation is the work of The Joining Project. Here are some of my favorite pieces.
Thanks to everyone who had a hand in this. The inspiring, cheery yarn project along the picturesque Charles made my day.
Some time ago I started a sweater. The design is worked from the bottom up with 3 x 1 ribbing, so it became my mindless project. I carried it around and diligently worked on it. I read the suggested length to underarm and knew I didn't need to make it that long but wasn't sure just how long to make it.
So I kept knitting. You know that knitting. You're working along. You're sure you're not even close to the desired length. You're almost positive you'll never get to the desired length.
Two weeks ago I had a feeling I should really figure out the desired length, so I set the project aside. It was easy to let the sweater simmer because I was in the middle of a couple other projects.
Once the other projects were finished, I was ready to turn my attention back to the sweater. Last week I grabbed it on my way out the door and realized I still hadn't resolved the length issue. The sweater moved from simmering to stalled.
It's not a good time to sit down and sort out a sweater when I'm on my way out the door and running late. It's also not the time to do it when I'm sitting in an office, waiting for an appointment.
One of my weekend projects was to get this sweater back on track. Since I wasn't sure of the exact length to underarm I was trying to achieve, I decided to measure it against another sweater. This is one of my most trusted methods for getting the correct length to underarm. It also works for sleeves and comes in handy when I can't find my tape measure.
I like the length of the red sweater, and this little exercise confirmed that I had indeed shot past the target length.
There's only one solution when that happens.
I thought I might need to take out 6 rows but stopped with 5 just to be safe. Heaven forbid I go too far the other way and take out extra rows.
And that was just right. This sweater has gone from stalled to up and running.
Recently I finished a pair of socks.
These socks were perfect for on-the-go, almost mindless knitting. The stitch is 3 x 1 ribbing. Nothing fancy. I didn't really follow a pattern but try A Nice Ribbed Sock if you're looking for something similar. In case you're wondering, the yarn is Lillian, colorway Wheat.
A while ago Stephanie of Yarn Harlot fame posted about her toe decreases. She spaces out her decrease rounds with additional plain knit rounds to create a more rounded toe. I made a mental note of the formula and told myself I would try it some day.
When I came to the toe of these ribbed socks, I decided to give Stephanie's method a try. I wasn't unhappy with my traditional toe, but I'm delighted with the outcome of the new one.
For comparison, my traditional toe is on the right. Stephanie's toe has a comfy fit, and it reminds me of the bumper on Keds sneakers. A simple variation on a theme. I'm sure there are more rounded toes in my future.
My color inspiration this week is highlighted by a contrasting backdrop.
A ball of purple surrounded by green.
I'm often finishing projects at the last minute, and one of these times I know I'm going to run out of minutes. Shows are my most pressing deadlines, and there's nothing like a deadline to motivate me to finish a project. Last Thursday evening, the night before I left for Fiber Frolic, I decided I had just enough time to block another booth sample.
Cicada Shawl.
This is an interesting pattern with left and right crosses moving across the body of the shawl.
There's a certain rhythm to knitting the crossed stitches, and they add both texture and visual contrast.
The border is full of twists and turns that can only be fully appreciated when the shawl is blocked. I'm delighted with the outcome.
The yarn is Julia, colorway Silver. This blend of Merino and Tencel has nice drape with a bit of shimmer.
The spring show season is over, but I'm still on the road. This coming Saturday I'll be Eneri Knits from 11:00 - 3:00 for a trunk show. If you're in the area, stop by.
And now I'm off to knit . . . without a deadline.
Mondays can be challenging, and after a weekend in Maine, this Monday is even more so. I could easily have been convinced to spend an extra day, but I don't have that flexibility with my schedule. It's Monday morning, and I'm back at it.
Fiber Frolic is always fun. The pace is relaxed, so there's plenty of time to talk with customers and connect with other vendors. I don't have that luxury at some of my other events.
Take a peek at the weekend.
A few weeks ago I realized I didn't have enough project bags, but I was busy and didn't do anything about it. I'm glad I waited.
Project bags from Three Bags Full. It didn't take me long to fill them. It's time for more coffee and maybe just a row or two.
Today I'm leaving for a weekend show, so late last night I started to think about packing. I always pack my knitting first. Once that's in place, the rest is easy.
Since I'm in the midst of a personal sock challenge and since socks are so portable, I knew I wanted to limit my weekend knitting to socks. When I checked in with my current sock in progress, I realized that it's almost finished and won't last the weekend. That means it's time for a new sock project.
I'll be knitting in my booth this weekend, so one of the requirements is the pattern has to be simple - nothing too involved with a lot of cables, lace, charts and fancy maneuvers. The other requirement is that it can't be boring. Just because it's simple doesn't mean it has to be boring.
I started my pattern search. I checked my usual spots - Ravelry, books, lists, files. Many of the simple patterns bordered on boring. It was getting late when I finally settled on this one - Longjohn Sock. I think this pattern has the element of simplicity without being boring. The Ravelry description says it's "fun knitting that travels well." I'll find out. I went to bed with an empty suitcase, but I had my travel knitting sorted out.
Now that that problem is solved, I should pack some clothes.
My color inspiration this week comes from the Charles River. I remember when that water really was dirty. Today it's an example of the positive impact of clean-up efforts.
Bright boats ready and waiting.
I lovingly refer to my truck as the Wool Wagon. When it's loaded up for a show, it's filled to capacity with wool, but these days I'm hauling wool even between shows. I'm not at capacity, but I definitely don't have any room for passengers - which is a problem when the kids need a ride.
This is the back of my cab with the seats folded up. This is where 3 big teens usually sit. It's full of yarn from one side to the other. "Mom, why do you have all this yarn in the truck?"
Why am I always hauling wool around town? There are orders that need to ship out. I've even been known to personally deliver ones in the immediate area. Meet local customers for coffee so they can look over a few colors? Sure, why not. I teach knitting classes and those require wool. Then there are visits to area yarn shops, so owners can see the full array of colors. Add a trunk show or three and it's no wonder I'm always hauling wool.
Today the yarn will come out so I can run errands with the kids, and tomorrow the yarn will go back in when I load up for a weekend show. When I'm not hauling kids, I'm hauling wool.
