in her humble opinion

Anya wore her new sweater today...



....for about 14 seconds!







Think she likes it?

in the bag

We were on vacation this past week. Since it was a billion degrees the whole time, I kind of lost my will to knit, but I got a good start on sassymetrical, at least. I don't have anything to show you but a blob of stockinette, though, so instead, here's a glimpse of my knitting bags:



I am constantly on a quest for the perfect knitting project bag. Despite my best efforts to be organized, I always have a lot of things going at once, so at the very least, a bag for everything keeps the yarn from getting tangled too badly. I've made all kinds of bags in my limited sewing career; some I've used, some have been gifts. I have yet to design the perfect knitting bag, though someday I will.

The bag on the far left was a gift from my MIL last week. Ten Thousand Villages is a fair trade shop with locations in various Mennonite towns across the country; this one came from Kansas. It's a sturdy canvas bag with a handy velcro closure at the top. It's a bit nice for groceries, but might be the perfect size for a larger project, like a sweater.

The bag in the middle is one I made at least 5 or 6 years ago, if not more. It's soft ecru-colored denim fabric I nabbed from my mom's stash. I designed the whole thing myself, and even did the leaf stamping. There is a sage-colored lining and inner pockets for things like needle gauges and crochet hooks and tiny bottles of lotion. I'm proud of that one, and I think I must have been channeling Martha Stewart the day I made it. It's not on-the-go very much, though, because I tend to keep all my DPNs in there along with small unfinished projects. It's still my favorite.

The last bag on the right is from Whole Foods and cost 79 cents. It was designed by Cheryl Crowe and is made of recycled plastic. It's not nearly as nice or special as anything I could have designed and made myself, but it's a perfect size and plenty sturdy. It's the one I took along to the Dells this week, and it was just right for what I needed.

What about you? What do you look for in your knitting bag? Do you throw everything into a plastic shopping bag? A large Ziploc? Your purse? A designer specialty?

knitting

Before I get to the knitting, allow me to bitch about Wisconsin weather for a minute. For nine months out of the year, the weather here sucks. It's cold, wet, snowy and miserable for most of the fall, all of the winter, and most of the spring. Just when you think you can't stand it any more, you get about two weeks of glorious sunny days when everything is suddenly green and blooming and bursting with color. Then it gets oppressively muggy and warm (usually not hot - 90 degrees is rare here - I'll give you that) until October, when you get a week or two of nice fall weather with pretty leaves and then it's miserable again. We had a cool, wet spring here (again, though without the devastating floods like last year, thank heavens). Last weekend it was barely warm enough to go to the swimming pool (though we did anyway) and today I had to turn on the air conditioner because the air is so thick you could scoop it into a soup bowl and call it lunch. It's warm and sticky and stormy. Last night between the lightning and thunder waking me up, and scaring the kids, I hardly got any sleep at all. I have to admit, actually, that I like lying awake listening to a good thunderstorm; it gives me a chance to think. Of course, today I have a raging headache because it's not like I get to sleep in EVER (and I consider 7:00 to be sleeping in), and the kids were crabby and tired until they both fell asleep about a half hour ago, mercifully.

I know, I know. Life could be a lot worse.

Of course, I finished Anya's sweater just in time for summer weather. I'll get modeled shots of this when she grows into it (it's pretty roomy still - at least I was thinking ahead) and when it's cool enough. That might be a while, or it might be next week. you just never know up here.



Pattern: cabled raglan baby sweater (Rav link), the second one I've made in a row. I made the same modifications as the first with the slightly gathered sleeves, and improving (in my opinion) the cables pattern. I have a million baby/toddler sweater patterns, so I don't know why exactly I felt compelled to do this one twice. I like the seamless design, I guess, and the fact that it's so brainless. I think the sleeves are huge, a design flaw, but that probably won't bother Anya too much.
Yarn: Kona Bay cotton, about 5 skeins, which I bought for practically nothing at the cute little LYS in my home town. I don't know how durable this yarn is, but considering how fast kids grow, I don't that's too important. It's ultra-soft, though.

Check out the Peter Rabbit button I found at the Sow's Ear:



So what's next for me? We're going on vacation in a couple days. In fact, my parents-in-law are on their way here RIGHT NOW, so I'm a tiny bit stressed about getting the house clean and dinner ready (though not stressed enough to put this blog post on hold, apparently). Anyway, I'm almost done with the Classic 150 cardigan, but it's at a perfectly awkward stage. I won't get it finished before we leave, since it has to be blocked and dried before sewing up and knitting the button band and collar, and it's certainly too cumbersome to bring along on the trip. Stuart's brother and family are coming along, too, which means there will be 4 children under the age of 4 in one rental cabin...blocking pins, wet wool, 3 toddlers and a newly-crawling baby sounds like a disastrous combination.

This means I have no choice but to start a new project. I'm thinking sassymetrical, which I found on Ravelry, where I spend a lot of time as I nurse Anya to sleep. And I think I'll use this yarn:



Cashmere canapa by Hemp for Knitting. It's a little light for this pattern, but I think knitting at a slightly looser gauge than the ballband calls for will make it nice and drapey - hopefully not droopy, though.

Now I'm off to swatch before the kiddies wake up. I predict I won't get much farther than casting on.

ok, i lied

Knitting content in the next post, I promise...

but in the meantime, here's some eye candy: Anya's new shorts! These are the third (and final, for a while anyway) pair from the same pattern I've been using the last couple of weeks.



I don't have much new to say about it, except that sewing gets easier the more you do it. These were done in a flash.

This is a typical Anya expression when you bust out the camera, and that's if you're lucky enough for her to look at you instead of turning away. She's all indignant.



Close-up of the batik fabric. I do love those batiks (can you tell?)



Squat!



This is just a good picture of her.



She loves pulling on those plants! You should see what she's done to the basil containers. Oy.

worldwide knitting in public day

...was LAST week. And there was even an event at one of my favorite Saturday farmers' markets! How'd I miss that? Well, at least they got a video; click here to watch it.

Actual knitting content coming soon!

I can't seem to stop!

I can't seem to stop making stuff for Anya. I have found so many cute patterns for this and that I keep on starting projects for her, even though I swear I'm going to get around to selfish knitting for me any day now.

In the mean time, humor me, will you? At the very least, I have an excuse to post pictures of my daughter.

This morning I made Anya another pair of long shorts, same pattern as those green ones. This fabric is a wonderful batik I got at Stitchers' Crossing. Batiks are expensive - around $10 per yard - but you only need 1/2 yard for one pair of shorts, so I still consider it a bargain.



These shorts are ridiculously easy to make. No pockets or anything fancy, just the side seams, the crotch seam, the hem, and the elastic casing.



I put in a little extra effort cutting out the pieces to try and match up the printed pattern. Mostly, it worked out, I think.



Anya seems happy with them, at any rate.



And the good news is that my serger is fixed! I was totally right about the safety function being stuck on. I took it in to this repair place, and the guy jiggled something for a minute, fixed the tension (which was all goofy for some reason), and didn't even charge me.

Daniel, by the way, is completely fascinated with my serger. He watched me sewing this morning, then went outside to thread his own. This involved wrapping a piece of scrap yarn around the upside down wheelbarrow.



He also spent some time with his tinker toys "building a serger"...I wonder what he'll be when he grows up. Any guesses?

Pride and Prejudice for the modern girl

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.



Do not make yourself uneasy, my dear cousin, about your apparel. Lady Catherine is far from requiring that elegance of dress in us which becomes herself and daughter. I would advise you merely to put on whatever of your clothes is suprior to the rest - there is no occasion for anything more. Lady Catherine will not think the worse of you for being simply dressed. She likes to have the distinction of rank preserved. (Mr. Collins, Ch. 28)



She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me... (Mr. Darcy, Ch. 3))



-This seems to be a very comfortable house. Lady Catherine, I believe, did a great deal to it when Mr. Collins first came to Hunsford.
-I believe she did - and I am sure she could not have bestowed her kindness on a more grateful object.
(Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, Ch.32)



-I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at your knowing any.
-Are you so severe upon your own sex as to doubt the possibility of all this?
-I never saw such a woman. I never saw such capacity, and taste, and application, and elegance, as you describe united.
(Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, Ch. 8)



She has nothing, in short, to recommend her, but being an excellent walker. I shall never forget her appearance this morning. She really looked almost wild. (Miss Hurst, Ch. 8)




........

I grew up with Pride and Prejudice (and before everyone tells me in comments to read the zombie version, I'll head you off and say that I might, eventually, but I'm in no hurry.) It's my mother's favorite book; she read it out loud to me when I was about 11 or 12, and I've read it on my own a couple of times since then. I've seen all the movies (my mother owns them), and while I don't know this book quite as thoroughly as she does, I know it pretty well. There are so many wonderful (and famous) quotes from P&P, it was hard to choose just a few for this post. Save the opening sentence, I thought it wise to stay away from matters of the heart, since Anya's a bit young for that now.

My mom made the dress. I can only claim responsibility for two things: choosing the yarn (done while my mom was laid up with a broken leg and couldn't go shopping on her own) and taking pictures of the finished product this morning. The pattern is from the second MDK book. It's adorable, but watch out for the armholes if you want to make this yourself; they're a little tight.

Pattern: Jane Austen dress (Rav link) from Mason-Dixon Knitting: the sequel
Yarn: Rowan Cotton Glacé, 2 skeins in the color "glacier," a lovely light mint green that is very difficult to match with any fabric or combine with other colors.
Made by: Oma, for her granddaughter Anya
There is no room to grow into this one (my daughter is a giant, apparently) so I will see to it that she wears this little dress every chance she gets!

not for Anya this time

Several days ago I finished the cabled raglan baby sweater (Ravelry link), but I didn't have the motivation to spend all of 5 minutes sewing on the snap and button for the top closure. Why? Because as adorable as this little sweater is, Anya can't wear it. Yes, it fits her. Yes, we have cool weather up north that requires an extra layer early in the morning to keep warm. But the color is absolutely awful on her. I knew that when I started, but I had the yarn in my stash and I wanted to use it. I'm sure I'll find someone to give it to.



Pattern: cabled raglan baby sweater by Rebecca Daniels, largest size (24 months)
Yarn: RYC cashsoft DK, about 4 skeins. This yarn is so soft I could bathe in it.
Mods: I "fixed" the cables. First, I made them symmetrical. Second, the original pattern has them placed sort of irregularly, and that bugged me. I just did the cable cross every 10 rows and called it good. Also, the sleeves, which are about elbow-length, look gigantic because there are no decreases. Before doing the garter stitch cuff, I did a round of k3, k2tog (or was it k2, k2tog? I'm not sure) to gather it slightly, and I like the effect:



I found a pretty button (though it might be a little heavy):



Don't worry, little Anya. I've already started another one for you, this time in a color you can wear.

in which I knit my friend a hat

My dear friend Stephanie came to our house for an afternoon early in the week. Our friendship goes back to our grad school days, when we were both heavily involved in volunteering for the teaching assistants' union - specifically, the spring of 2004 when the union went on strike. That was an adventure, let me tell you. I met some pretty amazing people that semester, a few of whom I still keep up with periodically. Stephanie is one of the only people I still see on a regular basis since I had kids. For one thing, she doesn't act like a woman falls off the face of the planet after motherhood. For another, she really likes hanging out with my kids, especially Daniel, who she babysat quite a lot off and on while I was finishing up my doctorate.

That seems like a million years ago, suddenly.

Anyway, we had a wonderful afternoon and evening together. She even called it "restorative," which isn't often a word I use when describing the effect of spending 7 solid hours with my children...but then, I can always use the reminder that other perspectives provide. We were outside basically the entire day, and she took some beautiful pictures I'd like to share.*

Stephanie is an educator, an organizer, and a naturalist through and through. She brought some awesome plants from her own garden to share with me (I gave her some in return). She taught Daniel how to identify and pull up garlic mustard, an invasive weed that is everywhere. I actually think it's kind of pretty, but the city is trying (however futilely) to eradicate it. By the way, if you've ever wondered why it's called "garlic mustard," give it a little sniff, and you'll understand immediately.

Here is Daniel demonstrating how one identifies and eliminates garlic mustard:




"Make sure you get the roots!"


Anya did a balancing act on the railroad tie bordering the front garden:





Daniel joined in to form a mini-conga line:


Both kids spent some time examining the many bumper stickers on the back of Stephanie's pick-up truck. (There were actually some better shots of this, but they show the license plate, and I didn't feel entirely comfortable putting those up on a public blog.)


We had such a big day that Daniel fell asleep while eating his supper:


*Full credit for the photos of Daniel and Anya goes to Stephanie Eastwood.

Oh, right. This is a knitting blog...

So I made Stephanie a hat.



Sometime I'll get some pictures of her wearing it. I finished it after she left on Monday, so I haven't given it to her yet, but I showed it to her in its half-finished state, and she liked it then, so I'm feeling pretty confident about it.



In fact, she and I worked together to choose a pattern. I sent her links to a whole bunch of patterns I found online and told her to choose one and tell me what color she'd like. We looked at several, but in the end settled with a simple one: the "last-minute" purled beret from Wendy Bernard at Knit and Tonic. When I had her look at it on Monday, I asked which she liked better, the knit side or the purl side. After considering this for a minute, Stephanie settled on the purl side. I wove in the ends discreetly enough she could wear it either way. Aren't I clever? (ha)



Pattern: last-minute purled beret by Wendy Bernard (link to pdf)
Yarn: Artesanal by Aslan Trends (40% cotton, 30% alpaca, 30% polyamide). There are 218 yds per skein, and I used maybe half of one skein. I could possibly squeeze another one of these out of what's left for myself. I like it enough that I just might. The yarn is very soft, like a pair of blue jeans that has been through the wash dozens of times. In fact, I knit the beret twice, once on size 9 needles before deciding it was too loose and limp, then again on size 8s. It worked much better the second time, though she may want to weave some elastic thread through the brim if she likes a snug fit.
Gauge: ??? Are you kidding? I never do gauge swatches for hats (see above about knitting it twice...) The label suggests 4 st/inch, and I'm guessing that's about what I got, if not slightly tighter.

moth

No knitting content today, I'm afraid. I'm slogging through the last part of that purple cardigan, but I have to say the stunning weather and long hours of daylight makes it hard not to spend the whole day outside playing in the dirt. My hands are just too muddy to sully good wool! Fortunately, the kids like being outside as much as I do. They play in the sandbox while I scoop mulch and pull weeds. Occasionally, Daniel tries to help by getting out his kid-sized shovel, but his idea of digging is really just whacking at the ground half-heartedly. At least he can't do much damage that way.

Anyway, this afternoon I was planting some things in the front garden - a lovely variety of woodland perennials my friend gave me from her own garden - and plop! Suddenly this huge moth landed right in front of me.



Isn't it gorgeous? That sucker is has a good 3" wingspan. It wasn't moving a whole lot, even when I prodded it gently with a stick (I shouldn't have done that, I know, but I wanted to see if it was still alive. It was.) It stayed around long enough for Daniel to look at it (he wanted to poke it with a stick, too, but I wouldn't let him), and then I got the camera for a picture. Later in the evening, though, it was gone. I like to think he (she?) went on his (her?) merry way to munch leaves or lay eggs or whatever moths do this time of year. Or maybe it went off to die. I just don't know. I know shockingly little about biology.

Does anyone know what kind of moth that is? First commenter with a correct answer just might win some stash yarn!

ETA: Props to Jenn-Jenn for getting the right answer right away! Here is the link she had in comments. Jenn's a new knitter who lives in the heat of south Texas, but I'm sending her yarn anyway!

not knitting, but important

Go read this over at Sweetwater Journal re: the death of Dr. Tiller in Wichita, KS. Steph always says it better than I could.