Winding Down

Christmas morning and the wild time that accompanies it! Sam, as always, is in the middle of things. What would we ever do without this vital family member?

We surprised Livvy this year with a trip to Italy that’s taking place in March. Superman and I will have been married 20 years! It seems more like 5. We will fly to Rome for 7 days and try to soak up some of the flavor Italia! I’ve never traveled abroad so this should be an experience, Livvy and him, on the other hand, have several stamps in their passports. I have already been on Ravelry to the Itlay groups and have recieved the most wonderful responses from knitters who live there with helpful tips, and offers of more help if needed. It never ceases to amaze me how close the world has become thru the internet. Also, how kind people can be with seemingly small things in common such as knitting. I don’t think this is just a ‘knitters’ thing, I hope it’s indicative of all humans to want to help someone feel less lost, I know I like the feeling I get when I’ve helped someone besides myself, I think most people do.

Annnnyyy Hoooo…..Continue your wonderful holiday, enjoy each other and lend a hand if the opportunity presents itself.

See you in the New Year!

Merry Christmas

Miles and Miles of Brown Rib….if you can finish these , you can finish ANYTHING.  The first one took four days the second took a month! For any adult or child who want to practice patience and stick-to-it-ness then start a  project like these for a size 13 foot.

Pattern: Basic Men’s Socks

Fiber: Pure Alpaca from the MD Wool Festival

For: Superman

Christmas Eve Knitting

Anemoi Mittens

Fiber: Jitterbug

For: Moi

There has been a bit more happening in the Meers House

Decorating:

Our annual trip to Opryland to view the lights, eat the food, shop till we drop, and get in the mood for Christmas Cheer!

MERRY CHIRSTMAS ALL!!

Seasons Change

What a lovely treat to come home to!!

I’m finally back on the blogging trail after a long hiatus. All the while I have been knitting… and tinking. I love this mug I found in DC, it starts a morning out well. Now if only I could apply it a bit better! Although tinking and re-knitting somewhat resembles “going in the direction of your dreams…its just your dreams  of a 4-ply cashmere sweater may be more of a nightmare than a lovely dream!

I confess I’ve also been destracted by this wonderful weather we’re experiencing here in the Southeast, chilly morning walks, leading to mild sunny afternoons. The sky is that incredible blue that almost hurts the eyes. My garden is on the way out but a few showey leaves remain and the hardiest of herbs hare hanging on for fall soups.

I know this is completely out of sync for the season but I had to get in these fall colors before next spring and with my blogging record it happens now or never.

Next some wintry Christmas pics and holiday knitting!

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Fall Fetish

I am having severe ’startities’. I have begun and ripped at least five projects, finally settled on another Schoolhouse Vest to get me over the hump while I ponder my next ‘real’ project. I never make the same thing twice if I can help it, once I’ve bound off, I’m over it. I guess that makes me a process knitter not a project one. I’ve been playing with the red cashmere and ripped it three times, least you forget that’s 4 PLY CASHMERE!  I knit and knit and knit and knit…..and it actually seems to shrink as oppose to grow! All this makes for a tearful frogging process. I’m now thinking of soothing my wounded pride with some exciting like a garter stitch scarf in aran weight yarn!

Till next time, I hope your knitting is frog-free!

Victory in the face of Adversity

Excuse my tardiness! I’ve been celebrating my birthday week! In our house Mom doesn’t have a birthDAY but rather a birthWEEK. The culmination is Monday on the actually date I joined the world at large but the fun leading up to it is grand. But first things first….

My Olympic Project….the School House Vest was an excellent choice as even the slowest of knitters can complete it in two weeks. I, being the queen of ’snaildom’,  was a wee bit ahead of schedule until  that familiar stumbling block that hits all knitters at some point…the why-should -I-read-directions-when -I-have- a- picture- right- in- front- of- me! block. I was so happy with the look and fit of everything about this design that I whipped up the armhole trim while flaunting my fo  to all my peeps at Bliss Yarns the day before D-Day. Then of course I was slapped down viciously when I attempted to flaunt this little number in front of superman who casually ask ” are there supposed to be ‘wings’ on the back?” AARRGH!  The arm trim squirmed and wiggled its way around my limbs like cranberry snakes! After a blistering tongue-lashing aimed at Stephanie Japel, the designer, (of course it’s her fault, I had a PICTURE for goodness sake ), I finally read the directions, all the way back to “materials needed:” and there was that little bit about size 5 needle for the bind off  and trim, not size 7!!!!! Well, why didn’t she put that in BOLD or CAPS or italics?? Doesn’t she know some slap-happy olympian, drunk with the flush of the finish line was going to zoom right over those simple details!? leaving her dazed and confused as to why absolute perfection had slipped thru her needles at the last possible moment??? Well I hope this is a lesson to you Stephanie!

In spite of the designers negligence in whacking me over the head with the obvious, I have managed to pull off quite a nice little knit and the final bind off was mere 15 min before the flame extinguished!

the length is perfect with my tall frame, one of the joys of knitting in the round where you can try things on before committing to decreases,

the bust darts fit even someone built like a teenage boy,, making the darts was just a stroke to my delusional ego.

See,,,not a bat wing in sight thanks to my extensive research and finely tuned deciphering skills! All in all a terrific knit , quick, easy, well fitting and with the worsted weight yarn there are a million options. I used the Cascade 220; I liked the look and feel….and the price tag, about $21 dollars!

I’m off to pick up where I left off in the birthday activities; today is picnic in the park with knitting followed by mani-peti’s for the bug and I.

Have a wonderful Labor Day!

the race may be over, but not the running!

YES! The vest vault is complete, but barely under the wire….more pics and info to come, right now it’s  off to school for drop off and then work.

Stay tuned…

Knitter Down!

I feel like the women’s gymnastics team at the beginning of the semifinals,,,,the injuries seemed to pile up on those gals, but like them I will persevere. Yesterday I spent the most wonderful day at my LYS with my best friend whom I haven’t seen in a month. Good company, lots of knitting, upbeat chatter..just one of those days that makes you feel alive and happy to be a knitter. I thought I would take all those warm, fuzzy feelings home and pour them into a good dinner for the fam since they had both been working all day. I got a great recipe from said friend, (who is Julia Child reincarnated), and began chopping away with my trusted Wustoff…then,

BAM, a chunk out of the middle finger!  I called Superman who was on his way home from the hospital and said, bring supplies! He had to clamp down hard on the artery to stop the blood flow enough to get a bandage on. Just so you know, artery clamping leaves you seeing stars for a moment then a dull ache sets in that makes you wonder if removing the digit all together might not have been less painful! Is there no silver lining you ask? Would this be the end of my quest for knitters glory?  No, No, No….  You will notice it is my LEFT hand, so just like those spunky rubber girls I was back on the mat, so to speak, pursuing my own personal gold, albeit at a reduced pace.  AND, the fam felt so sorry for me that Superman finished up dinner, Bug cleaned the kitchen, and I sat down to watch two hours of women running thru the streets of Bejing! I couldn’t believe they showed two hours of women in speedos running and sweating, the color commentator had his job cut out for him. But as I watched I thought a lot about pace and perseverance. I couldn’t knit as fast, (I’m a snail on a good day}, and I was getting a little bored with this project,( knitters ADD), but like the chick from Romania, I had to keep going, looking ahead for the finish. I finished up another two inches and still it looks like this:

Rather like a trumpet flower or a strange sea creature?  And yes, it does stretch, A Lot! I weigh a wee bit more than the flying rubber girls, or the runnerchicks, but yes, I tried it on as I went and it does in fact cover that middle blob below the rib cage. I’m back in love with it again as I can see my on finish line looming up ahead, almost in reach, just a fuzzy figure thru the smog, but still there, I just have to keep treking.

However, like every obsessive knitter, I am daydreaming about the next great thing, here’s a few more for my to-do-list:

The first two are from Anthropology, I adore the hoodie. What you can’t tell in this pic is that the closer is a small stuffed frog hanging from i-cord used to wrap around the opposing button in order to close. Ms. Crochet, otherwise know as Emiily at Bliss Yarn, has agreed to show me how to make my own version.  The second set of pics is from Berrocco.

The PomPom Peds are from here. A great site to have in your contacts. I’m thinking these would make semi-fast stocking stuffers for Christmas.

I hope this finds you all healthy, uninjured and cruising down your own personal finish line, just don’t forget to look ahead at your next race. As knitters there’s always ‘one more’….one more row, one more skien, one more project, one more sleeve, one more color, one more FO!!!

Decisions, Decisions…..

I’m over it…. that ‘honeymoon’ period with my stash trying to decide what’s next. I enjoy that period for about 48 hours and then I need a decision. I thought a trip to my LYS summer sale would do it, but no, still can’t decide. Oh, pick yourself up off the floor…of course I bought yarn!!! All cottons were on sale, what do you take me for an idiot; don’t answer that, I can’t even decide on a pattern.

The shop had that wonderful vibe of possibilities! You know the kind, creative minds clicking so loud and quickly it’s almost tangible. I arrived at the onslaught and stayed a mere four hours, the fact that I didn’t close the place down and follow the owner to her car is a testament to my self-control.

My procurements included this:

with which I will make this:

from this:

All those little ‘dots’ you see aren’t yo’s, no, no, no, they are in fact brass beads. Leave it to Kim Hargraves to put a twist on the common tunic. Now I don’t know about you, but the combo of brass and cotton sends a shiver down my spine. I envision unfolding my handmade, much loved, thousand-hour garment from it’s moth-free drawer and finding screaming rust stains running down it’s heavily patterned yoke! YIKES! I am therefore up for suggestions, glass? ceramic? is there anything else out there.

Lest you think I twiddled away those precious hours at the sale I stumbled upon a bin which others seem to have missed. It wasn’t screaming with color, it wasn’t near the mobbed sock yarn aisle, it was quietly resting in its corner nestled in between the blinding color array of organic cotton and alpaca silk…..

its the most luscious linen I’ve felt, something called Bomull/Lin; 53% bomull and 47% linen. And are you ready for the second best part, (feel always outranks price), the cost was $4.42 per skein!! I told you it was a SALE! (Dana don’t mess around!) I’m thinking a skirt, something a-line maybe this or if any of you have a better idea, I’m open. The one thing that hasn’t escaped my notice is how great the two material will look together!

So this post started out with…I have no decision-making capabilities; that’s still true. Though I love both these choices I’m not ready to tackle either as a long term project. Maybe I’m having this block because I’m gearing up for the knitting Olympics and team Bliss. For that project I’ve chosen this made from Cascade 220 in a rasberry color that makes you want to reach for a spoon instead of needles. But in between I need something to keep my knitting mojo from going stale, maybe socks or another quick scarf. Oh well, it will come to me.

I hope you’re working on something wonderful and that you have plans for your own knitting Olympics. If you can’t decide, come on over to Threaded Bliss Yarns in Brentwood, I’m sure Dana has something left in the shop

See Ya There.

Neexxxttt

Don’t you just love that feeling of the last stitch on the last seam? It’s like that first breath of air after being submerged under water, it’s that mental happy dance when you come in first, it’s that exhilaration of finding your favorite yarn….on sale….in the color you crave….and you just paid off your credit card… Okay, Okay you get it. Sunday was stay-home-and-knit-day. Superman was sleeping after an all-nighter at the hospital so the bug and I spent a wonderful day knitting, snapping pictures of FO’s and seaming. Here’s the Leaf and Lace that’s my first summer FO sweater, I don’t count the scarfs and socks, they’re like candy filler that slide in between the “real” projects

Pattern: Lace and Leaf/ Source: Rebecca #27/ Yarn: Blue Sky Organic Cotton, 4 Skeins

I can see this little number with a jacket for fall, khaki pants or my signature black for work. The great part is, bug can ‘legally’ wear this to school and it fits us both perfectly, it’s so great having a tall daughter! I top out at 5′10 and she is right up there with me, thank goodness. We taught her to love being tall from birth, she had no choice; superman is 6′5″. She’s always loved hovering above the crowd and I gave her heels in fourth grade for the Christmas assembly.

But I digress….on to the next…what will it be?? Don’t you just love that fragment of time when you decide on your next project? I’ve poured over my stash, (I’ve been stash busting for a bit), and I’m coming up with several possibilities, first:

Kim Hargraves Book: Nectar/ Pattern: Jasmine / Yarn: my cashmere 4-ply in red.

Mods: Yes I already have some and I haven’t even started….it will definitely be a top down work. Speaking of Kim Hargraves…

Then there’s this little number!

Kim Hargraves, Book: Heartfelt/Pattern:Armory/ Yarn:Rowan Bamboo Soft

Can you tell I’m a big KH fan!? I collect her books like spoons but I’ve yet to find a good top-down pattern so I’m forced to forge ahead on my own armed with this gem…

This book, my next sweater may come from this book. Or I may convert Kim to a Barbara construction. I call it a book of ’suggestions’ not patterns. I love the way she makes you use your brain and I love that there are no seams when you’re done. I don’t know about you but I can add an additional three weeks to a project if it has seams. They aren’t difficult, I’m reasonably good at them but I just procrastinate myself out of the mood! When I’m done knitting, no….when I’m almost done knitting….I’m on to the next piece. The last thing I want is to piddle and prod with a project I’ve already mentally left behind. So top-down it will be, now for just the right yarn…just the right design… cables, pleats, ruffles, can’t do those, uh, uh, turtle neck, v-neck, empire waist, fitted, a-line ARGHHH…back to the drawing board, literally!

Knit Night….characters welcome!

You just never know what you’re going to find at ‘Knit Night’ at Threaded Bliss! Last night we were graced by ‘Lovey’, a love bird that is, get this…..a therapy bird! He goes to local hospitals and rehab centers to entertain and soothe the patients who would like a winged companion for the day! He is very well behaved, never loud, has yet to attack fiber, and is all around entertainment. Bug loves to have him perch on her shoulder while she knits at the table, me…I’m sitting as far away as possible. It’s not that I can’t appreciate their beauty I just prefer to do it from afar, like say, a few miles. Lovey seemed to sense my discomfort in his company and proceeded to chirp loudly whenever I crossed near him. Well he’s entitled to his opinion, and I’m entitled to my space! We got along fine with me at one end of the table, he at the other. Yes, all this stems from a good healthy dose of fear forged long ago during a particularly ugly babysitting incident involving a wild parakeet and my charge who sported 666 somewhere under her blond curls! I prefer my companions with enough mass that I can get a good hold, like my 90lb lab or the 1500lb horses I trained! I know, it’s odd, I would rather stand in the path of a galloping Belgian than have a 4oz feather-duster with wings flit by my head. I shutter just thinking about it.

Livvy and Lovey

Bug is working deligently on a birthday present for a friend, she’s almost done and the birthday isn’t till August!  Certainly does not take after mom….I would be binding off at midnight the day before d-day.  Speaking of binding off…..(great seque!), the Rebecca 27 is driving me over the edge, maybe something was lost in translation from german to english, maybe I’m just an idiot who can’t follow a simple pattern, who knows…..I’m trying to go with the first one! I have the correct number of stitches on my needles, I have bound off appropriately and  once the shoulder seams are sewn I have about 5″ for my neck! I’m not oddly sized in the cranial region, but 5 INCHES! There’s no way my melon is going thru that! It now lies upstairs on my blocking board soaking wet, and pinned; pinned with a hundred pins stretching it’s little fibers to the max! Only time will tell. On a good note I can now ‘legally’ begin a new project. You should note the word ‘project’ denotes  anything that requires nine or more skeins and will be worn as clothing covering at least half the human form. This does not include such items as socks, scarfs, hats, mittens (which I adore), or purses….these I can begin as many as I like, whenever I like; that’s the rule and I’m stickin’ to it!

Next up, another top down, a la Barbara Walker’s suggestions. I use the word ’suggestions’ because she never really gives you a pattern, just suggestions on how to make the best fit possible. And Fit It Does! You have to get past the fact that there are no pretty, colorful  pictures of perfectly shaped models in good lighting; instead you get the nuts and bolts of how to build a sweater with your own brain and hands. This is the black cashmere I made last winter, it was my uniform for most  cold days, it even went off to Paris with Bug and was photographed in front of the Eiffel Tower. It fits us both eerily well, kinda like those pants and the sisterhood movie! So Back to the Basics with Barbara for me……. I’m thinking cables, and maybe a little more Christmas cashmere!

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Doesn’t the snow make you yearn for cold days, fireplaces, free time and loads of fiber?!

What’s everyone working on out there?  summer or winter ‘projects’? big or small?

Here’s wishing you clear directions and plenty of fiber to do the job!

Mother