Furry Friend

I've been really busy with work and am falling farther and farther behind on Nihon Vogue knitting, mailing Christmas gifts and cards and of course the inevitable housework. Thank goodness Rob is patient and supportive and Whimsy dog - well, as long as she gets walks and food 2X per day, not much else bothers her.  Here are some of my favorite photo's of my special little pal. 

Something different

I've still got two projects in Nihon Vogue to finish but I'll post more on them later. They are both in the stage that I am more bored than inspired with them so it is difficult to muster up excitement in describing either of them.  Sometimes I think I'll finish in time for the last class in January and then other times I think "ain't no way".  Last week I accepted a new job at my company which will require more travel and the responsibilities that come with have a larger team reporting to me.  Thus, I'll have to make very good use of the holiday period and my days off to get as much done as possible before the complete transition into my new role.  Last weekend I went to the Bellevue Bead Festival and purchased some great lampwork beads, crystals and stones and silver.  I've got ideas for several jewelry and beading projects to work on prior to Christmas and will have to take a break from evening knitting.  Tendonitus in my left elbow has been bothering me so a short respite from the needles will hopefully help.

Two more projects completed for Nihon Vogue, Year 2

Whew.  What a huge relief.  I have been staying up very late at night in order to finish two projects before class this coming weekend.  The capelet turned out lovely and I am happy with it.  I embellished beads on it to my heart's delight - on knitted hem, button loop w/Czech crystal button, and wrong side rows single crochet and 3 chain loop front edge borders and back neck edge.   It went for a test wearing today while I was at the office and it was so, so, so wonderful.  Soft, drape-y, warm and cozy llama.  Surprisingly, it may become a wardrobe favorite of mine after all.  Pleased to announce I have also finished the yoke sweater.  Scratchy, sticks-together-easily Reynolds Lopi-Lite yarn.  Thankfully, the yarn softens up with washing.  I am happy with the body color, fair isle pattern. seed stitch edging in place of ribbing, and color combinations of greens, brown, charcoal, lavender and rose, but I am not sure if I like how the yoke sweater fits.  In the midst of knitting it,  I thought the body and the sleeves would be too short.  The sweater turned out to be an acceptable length but in a late night, exhaustion induced moment of panic, I added a few rows to the sleeves which now makes them longer than I like. Why don't I ever trust my drafted pattern? Shortening the sleeves is an easy correction if I decide to pursue it (someday, when I have nothing else to do - ha!)  Either that or giving the garment to a relative with longer arms than mine who is claiming to all of a sudden, out of the blue, be fond of the color purple.  Knowing I was going to wear a turtleneck or shirt underneath the yoke sweater, I purposefully was more generous in calculating ease.  That said,  the yoke part of the sweater seems overly loose fitting to me.  Not sure if is the style of the sweater that I am unaccustomed to or if I should have done something different with measurements during the pattern drafting process, or if I should have used a different row gauge.  In any event, I like the sweater but will have to get used to how it feels on my shoulders when I wear it.  Despite my slight consternation regarding fit, and the fact that fair isle knitting technique is something I struggle with, the sweater was fun to knit.  Concentric circles incorporates a round of decreases 4 times between the bottom of the yoke and the neck.  The body and sleeves were knit flat, joined and then the yoke or colored fair isle section was knit in the round.  The last Nihon Vogue, Year 2 class is set for early January 2010 and then we have a 8 month break before Nihon Vogue Year 3-4 begins.  I have yet to finish the sleeves on my gansey and also come up with a design project.  The Nihon Vogue clock is ticking... loudly.

Capelet Conundrum

The last few projects for Nihon Vogue Year 2 are bearing down on me.  I've had to spend a lot of time figuring out what to do, hence there hasn't been as much actual knitting going on. Very frustrating to not "get off the blocks" so to speak.  The capelet is a project that, surprisingly, I was excited about.  The concept being that the pattern is decreased from the bottom edge to the neck edge, forming a conical shape.  I envisioned using some lovely charcoal black wool-silk yarn with shimmering beads in a lacy pattern on size 3.75 mm US 5 needles.  Wrong!  Once I drafted the pattern I realized that the vertical lacy pattern I wanted to use would be dwarfed by the amount of reverse  garter stitches I would have had to insert between each pattern in order to get the width I needed at the bottom edge.  Definitely not the look I had envisioned!  I wanted to incorporate beads somehow but discovered that the yarns I initially chose were not amenable to having hundreds of beads pushed along while knitting.  The yarns basically were not strong enough and shredded in places.  Rather messy...   Then I got myself stuck worrying about how a conical shape would actually fit on my body given I have shoulders.  It seems as though the angle from a lower pivot point above the back neck of the capelet should be a fairly wide.  How else does one  accommodate the width of the shoulders and then go to a much narrower width for the neck? My original drafted pattern seemed way too narrow at the shoulder and bottom edge. Arlene's drafted measurements were approximately the same as mine and her capelet fit fine.  She kept telling me that knitted fabric had 'give" and would fit but I was still worried that if the width to depth of the capelet wasn't enough to fit over the shoulders at the right place, a lot of knitted fabric could be bunched up at the neck.  I have heard some feedback that another student's project was encountering that exact issue.  Yikers. I just don't have enough time to knit something as an "experiment".  What to do?  Ask the expert!  Naomi and I went to Suzanne's while Jean was teaching a Year 1 class 2 weeks ago and we got our burning questions answered on the capelet/skirt and design project.  It was also fun to see Jan, Leslie and other Year Oner's while there.  Such amazing friends I have made while in Nihon Vogue! 
With my capelet conundrum finally solved, I am moving right along.  Knitting with a soft baby llama yarn by Mirasol on size 5.0 mm US 8 needles.  The stitch pattern is an extremely simple chevron pattern that I am decreasing for each of the 22 vertical repeats in segments as I go from the bottom edge to the neck.  The beaded edge is a technique I learned in a "Bead Knitting On The Edge" class by Betsy Hershberg when she taught at Madrona Fiber Arts last year.  The capelet will be open in the front rather than go over my head.  Finishing it off will be buttons with matching edge beads sewn between the center holes, and crocheted edging on front and neck.  My only fear is wondering how much the llama will "grow" over time since I don't believe that type of fiber has "memory" like wool.  Oh well.  Time will tell.  My goal is to get the capelet done before class on November 7th.  With daylight saving time there will be one more hour to knit this weekend!

Wonderful weekend diversions

Seahawks football!  I was invited to the game by one of my oldest and dearest friends, Kathryn.  She has season tickets on the club level at Qwest Field and what a view we had!  It was a spectacular game for the Seahawks. They crushed the Jacksonville Jaguars 41-0.  Rob was in Leavenworth all weekend - mountain biking and helping some friends with the construction on their cabin.  On Saturday Whimsy and I took an early morning ferry from Edmonds to Kingston and then drove to Port Angeles for the Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival.  There were approximately 50 artists' booths on the pier and I purchased some brilliantly colored tile trivets and small print reproductions by Kate Larsson.  Whimsy and I also explored Port Gamble, Port Townsend and Port Ludlow during our long one day excursion.  The leaves on the trees were changing into brilliant shades of yellow, orange and red, the skies were clear, the water was blue - what a wonderful day.  Alas, I didn't get any Nihon Vogue or any other knitting for that matter done, but the weekend was exactly what I needed.

Adding to the stash

Gulp.  After my public disclosure to family, friends and the world, I can't believe I bought more yarn!  Actually, yes I can.  My excuse is that, well, it was one of those once in a lifetime moments.  Really.  Trust me.  It's true. Sarah Dimond of The Plucky Knitter was having a trunk show of luscious, yummy, beautiful hand dyed cashmere, silk and merino beauties at Churchmouse Yarns and Tea on Bainbridge Island.  I drove to downtown Seattle and parked at our empty, wanting to be rented soon condo in Belltown.  I walked down 1st Avenue past Pike Place Market, down Harbor Steps and then along the waterfront to the Colman Dock.  It was interesting to see the shops and merchandise for tourists along my route.  It was so energizing to be outside and walking through the Emerald City early in the morning.  People walking dogs, joggers running through the park, farmers putting up produce at the market, coffee drinkers and Sunday paper readers at sidewalk cafes. I met up with Naomi, Ellen and Amy at the Ferry Terminal.  We boarded for the quick half hour crossing from Seattle to Winslow.  On the ferry we saw Sarah and also had the pleasure of meeting her friend Nicole who had come out from Michigan with her.  I was impressed they had ventured to Mt. Rainier for sightseeing and hiking the day before!  On the other side of Elliot Bay, we ate breakfast at Streamliner Diner and then went to nearby Blackbird Bakery to wait for the yarn store to open.  Once there, I indulged in some cashmere in lavender and eggplant colors (no surprise there!) and then some other silk-merino blends in teal, green, brown and dreamy aqua-gray called "The Light Side of the Moon".  Fun, fun, fun day with my fiber friends!

Dog Tired

 

Met my sweet son and his foster dog up at a park on Cougar Mountain.  Alas, old lady Whimsy dog wasn't very social with the younger dog but at least they had an opportunity to chase balls, run, jump and play.  A tired dog is a happy dog!  Isn't that the truth?

I am a......fiber addict

The Medical Definition of Fiber Addiction

The medical definition of addiction has seven criteria. This definition is based on the criteria of American Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organization

Answer the following seven "yes" or "no" questions. Most questions have more than one part, because everyone behaves differently in addiction. You only need to answer "yes" to one part for that question to count as a positive response.

1. Tolerance. Has your use of fiber increased over time?
2. Withdrawal. When you stop using fiber, have you ever experienced physical or emotional withdrawal?
   
3. Difficulty controlling your use. Do you sometimes use fiber more or for a longer time than you would like?
   
4. Negative consequences. Have you continued to use fiber even though there have been negative consequences?
5. Putting off or neglecting activities. Have you ever put off or reduced social, recreational, work, or household activities because of your fiber use?
6. Spending significant time or emotional energy. Have you spent a significant amount of time obtaining, using, concealing, planning, or recovering from your fiber use? Have you spend a lot of time thinking about fiber? Have you ever concealed or minimized your fiber? Have you ever thought of schemes to avoid getting caught bringing fiber into your home?
7. Desire to cut down. Have you sometimes thought about cutting down or controlling your use of fiber?
   

If you answered yes to at least 3 of these questions, then you meet the medical definition of addiction!

No surprise - I answered "yes" to almost ALL of the questions. I don't smoke, I don't drink alcohol, I don't drink coffee but I am surely addicted to all things fiber. After spending more than 2 weeks in Italy living "minimalistically" out of a backpack, I had an overwhelming urge to de-clutter and simplify when I returned home. I began with the fiber in my home office. The mission was two fold - get organized and provide some element of protection to the yarn from the moths and bugs that want to come visit when Rob leaves the windows and doors open on hot days and evenings. Some people buy postcards on vacation? I buy yarn. I have yarn from Canada, England, Scotland, France, Italy, Boston, Austin, Hawaii, Washington DC, South Dakota, California, Oregon, Illinois... and the list goes on. How silly can that be? Postcards are much easier to store and organize! Of course, I also buy yarn while not on vacation - which is why I pulled it out of over 70 various and sundry containers in my home office: plastic storage boxes, wire baskets, lidded boxes, drawers, wicker baskets, big jars and shelves filled with yarn of all weights, colors, fibers and quantities. Gathered up the yarn from the armoire in the master bedroom, the bottom drawer of the guest room dresser and the baskets in the media room. I'm sure I had great plans for each purchase, however, memories of such projects have long disappeared from my mind and I am left with... a significant amount of yarn. I found all sorts of great yarn that I completely forgot I had. Most of it is still alluring to me but there are some selections that are now destined for Goodwill or Freecycle. I made the mistake of telling Rob that I had more yarn than I could knit with in the next 10 years. He reminds me of that confession often! I hesitate to tell him the time frame is more likely 30 years... He came into the media room where I was sorting yarn and audibly gasped. He chuckled when he observed that he knew I had a lot of yarn but I had much more than he thought. I have much more yarn than I thought! Yes, I'm out in the open now. My fiber addiction is public. Yikes. I put skeins of like yarn into gallon zip lock freezer bags and then into a large bin. I have 18 bins that are 29 gallons in size so essentially 522 gallons of yarn. The 522 gallons does not include the expensive Prism skeins or the soft hand painted mohair or the vibrant Tillie Thomas or the luscious beaded Rhapsody I have in a large jar. Or the 4 containers of Tahki Cotton Classic in every color imaginable (how many beaded sachets or fair isle drawstring bags did I really think I was going to make?) Or the "single" balls of yarn or leftovers from completed projects quietly sequestered in 2 drawers in the closet. Long ago I started a Yarn Inventory system that included spreadsheets and yarn samples. That system was too arduous to keep current so I now plan to use the Stash Management tool on Ravelry. That way I can upload a photo of the yarn, sort according to fiber, weight, color or manufacturer and include notes on location and project plans. Easy to keep track of and easy to sell or trade any yarn in my stash should I so desire. Little by little over the winter months, I'll get it done. Then I'll focus my attention on organizing the books and beads in my home office... I haven't gotten much done for Nihon Vogue this week but looking at it from the bright side - at least I know what my yarn choices are for the next project!

Venice

Our last 36 hours in Italy was spent in Venice. I had low expectations given what I had been told about crowds, smell, expensive... but I found I really enjoyed the time spent in the city. The history, architecture and unusual geographic conditions make it like no other place on earth. I used my Starwood points for a stay at the Hotel Danieli. It is the most posh and sumptious hotel I have ever stayed at. They upgraded us to an executive suite which had a sitting room, king size bed with ultra fine Italian linens, walk in closet, marble filled bathroom with heated towel rack and everything else one could possible imagine needing. Rob and I are usually economically minded so it was a real treat to stay in a hotel that has hosted royalty and celebrities for centuries. St. Mark's, Murano, Doge Palace, Gondola ride...

More fashion trends seen in Italy

More fashion trends seen in Italy... Knitted garments were plentiful and I took pictures of the items that intrigued me most. In addition to what I posted previously, I also noticed trends in: garments knit side to side rather than bottom to top, collars and lapels are common (sometimes even exaggerated), ruffles are prominent as edging for collars or along button band, long or emphasized cuffs, organic or rounded shaping and knitted buttons. All of this gives me design inspiration for future Nihon Vogue projects!