Neither Hip Nor Funky

But right now, everything is in pieces

I finally purchased the thread to seam the Equestrian Blazer with, so the end is is sight there. However, there is definitely some major work left in order to get there.

I also have the end of my job in sight. However, there is also some major work to get through these next two months. I have a job this year that is simply not a good fit for me in many ways. I hate being in a situation of being physically and emotionally drained, counting down days instead of enjoying where I’m at. Ticking off days on a calendar is not the way that I want to go through life, but at this point it is the only way that I handle it.

So I am trying to be good about enjoying those little things…the little things that are the exact opposite of what I deal with at work:

integration, quiet, stability, comfort, and support

This week, I am finding these things not only in knitting, but also in the act of seaming and watching pieces connect….

in weaving in those loose ends

In the small projects

In enjoying small pleasures like a Sunday bike ride to meet friends for brunch downtown

In dining with a friend who normalized my negative job experience with her reports of her moods before she quit her last job.

In using the bike that P-funk customized for me (You can click on the picture for a link to more photos of the bike).

In a leisurely ride home along a beautiful trail that passes through a wildlife refuge

In a quiet evening spent taking the first steps on future projects

and scrolling online through the lovely lace patterns that you all suggested (Thanks)

and reading about all the projects that you all are working on. (I’m still enjoying the reading, even though I’ve been slow on the commenting lately)

Curly Girl Farms   hand-dyed lace weight wool

I don’t have much information on this yarn, as I bought it a small gift shop in my neighborhood that went out of business recently.

I haven’t actually knit with lace weight before, but it seems like the summer thing to do.  Anybody have ideas for a pattern that calls for 800 yd or less?

Cables and Tweed

They go together oh so well.

This is another in the series of things that I cast on when I was trying to make knitting fun again. The Simple Ribbed Socks won that battle, but now this is taking up most of my knitting time.

It’s a Bulky Cabled Cardigan, a Glampyre/Stephanie Japel pattern, in Cascade 128 tweed in Cedar. As with most reds, the photograph colors are off…it is a deeper, darker color. Although I have knit myself a couple sweaters, I still often grab my store bought cardigans on the way out the door because I love the versatility of cardigans. My Sunrise Circle sometimes fills this need, but it really looks better buttoned up which makes it not quite as versatile. I’m definitely looking forward to having an everyday, casual cardigan that I’ve made myself. And I really won’t have long to wait. Size 10.5 needles and no purl rows really make whole sweaters fly off the needles.

Pattern: Simple Ribbed Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks
Yarn: Socks that Rock in Monsoon
Needles: Addi US1 12inch and Bamboo DPNs
Started: March 17
Finished: April 18
These took much longer than they really should have for such a simple pattern. A combination of two things led to them lingering on the needles. First, I learned that I really dislike pooling in my socks. I simply hadn’t had that problem before…maybe a little bit of pooling in the gusset area, but it was always so slight that it didn’t bother me. However, I learned that major pooling in the gusset and foot area really bothers me. I orginally followed the heel in the pattern. When the pooling started, I tried to cut and re-attach the yarn while I was doing the gusset. That darn color pooling started right back up, so I ripped back and reattached the yarn at a different location….still no luck. After a few days hiatus, I ripped back and did a short row heel.

It solved the problem, but I still didn’t have the desire to work on these socks. I realized that it was the needles that I was using. I had read a blogger who liked using Addi 12″ needles for knitting socks because if you just stretch the stitches a bit you can knit in a continuous circle. I liked it at first, but I then found it more tedious than using DPNs or 2 circulars b/c you constantly are having to push the stitches around.

I switched to DPNs and finished up the toe of the first sock and the entire second sock in three days. Needles can make all the difference. Well…needles and a cool new star toe.

And look at this cool star toe. It was a new kind of toe for me and I’m loving it. It made knitting fun again.

And that star toe gave me the power to finish up the knitting on that Equestrian Blazer. Go Wish Bear or Star Cousin….I’m not sure anymore which one has the star power but go Care Bear Stare!

I’m always sharing the new yarn for Yarn Pr0n Fridays, but leftovers can be pretty too. (Well, leftover yarn can be pretty. I have to admit that pictures of plates with half eaten food kind of gross me out for some reason.)

Plymouth Tweed

Cascade 220

Thank you guys for your support on the post (and its withdrawal) and the encouragement to power through on that Equestrian Blazer. I want to reply to you guys individually, and I will this weekend…work has been rough this week.

I also have some pictures of some pretty and comfy socks to share.