Roaming Swatch, Part II
Benched Swatch
On Thursday, the swatch and I went to the Georgetown University campus. No, I don’t attend Georgetown and I never did – but I did work there for several years.
At any rate, this is where I finished swatch one and, looking at the stitches, first began to contemplate swatch two, in US7 needles. Because the stitches had too much space between them. I was slated to go on a spiritual retreat that weekend, so I figured I’d do swatch two while being all woodsy-birdsy and then compare the two.
[When did I become the kind of person who goes on retreats?!? That’s another post for another time. But I do want to emphasize that these are non-denominational retreats, spiritual rather than religious. Yes, I digress.]
Of course, my life is never as simple as I plan it to be. Two weeks ago, I went to this same retreat house and a friend of mine got very ill the second night. She and I and a tiny nun from the retreat house spent the night in the ER. The solution they came up with for my friend was unsatisfying, but we thought she was getting better.
Swatch in Hospital
On Friday, though, back to the emergency room for my friend, and our plan to go to the retreat house had to be scrapped as well. Running out the door to the hospital, I grabbed needles in US6 and US7, and swatched numbers two and three while we sat with Leslie after her procedure. I can say with great certainty that swatch three is too tight, and am pretty sure that swatch one is too loose (three bears, anyone?) but am waiting to measure to be sure.
I finished both swatches on the first day and then turned to my undulating waves scarf, about which more later. Leslie is back home and doing pretty well, and the swatches are home.
Next Time: We measure the swatches! The waves scarf grows! And a reintroduction to my Problem With Color!
Adventures of a Swatch
I’ve swatched for the CPH DC knitalong, though I remain skeptical about the pattern. The cables are gorgeous, but I am pretty sure the sweater will make me look like a hippopotamus. Well, anyway, hope springs eternal and Danielle has been talking about waist shaping, so we’ll see what happens.
As luck would have it, I ended up with three swatches, all of which are happily blocking on a towel right now.
First swatch was on #8 Denise Interchangeable needles, and came with me to Georgetown two days in a row. First, to tacklebox with Danielle:
Swatch on 8s in tacklebox
The DC area’s only lobster shack (or so their website claims), tacklebox had wonderful sweet tea, amazing asparagus, and pretty good lobster rolls. Having just come from Boston’s South Shore, I may have been overly picky about the Lobster Roll, but it wasn’t quite what I’ve had up north. Next time I’m having the Tilapia, which looked fan-freaking-tastic.
The most important thing about this tacklebox visit is that I confided in Danielle the problems I’ve had with the Debbie Bliss yarn (rav lnk) in the past (sweaters suddenly unfinishable! gauge unpredictable! yarn clearly cursed!) and she assured me that the problem is me, NOT the yarn. Hmph.
Danielle Eats Tilapia
Could it be Danielle is cursed? No, no, I’m sure it IS me. I do love blaming yarn for my problems. Sometime I’ll tell you all about the Artyarns Supermerino (rav lnk) that Would Not become a hat (rav lnk), holding out instead for my usual ribbed socks (rav lnk). I swear, the yarn made me do it.
In any event, the #8 swatch went with me to Georgetown again the next day, this time to the Georgetown University campus. The stitches were a little looser than I felt comfortable with, though I tend to be a tight knitter so am reserving judgment on the needles I should use until all swatches are blocked and I can Think About Them a little.
Next up: Swatch Goes to University! And to Hospital! [No, I’m fine and so is everyone I know.]
Central Park Hoodie Knitalong
Danielle at Knit-A-Gogo is organizing a DC area knitalong for the Central Park Hoodie (ravelry page). [Should we call it something else, since it’s in DC? Rock Creek Park?]
I’m thinking that this is the perfect outlet for the long-suffering, oft-swatched, never-brought-to-fruition Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (ravpg) that has (until now?) been the downfall of so many projects.
I don’t think it’s a problem with the yarn, but I’ve been halfway through so many sweaters with this yarn that I am beginning to think it is cursed. Perhaps I should have some sort of cleansing ritual before beginning.
Remembering Jane
Many of you already know that my mother, Jane Lawton, passed away on Nov. 29.
She and I hosted a knitting party (through Danielle at Knit-A-Gogo) a little while ago, even though she didn’t know how to knit. I found her beginner scarf next to her bed, without much progress made but very much in her line of sight. As one friend put it, “she wanted to want to knit.” She was a crocheter in her youth, though, and taught me when I was about 8. She was a woman of contradictions – modern and old-fashioned, Northern and Southern, very strong and occasionally needy (aren’t most mothers?).
She was so dear to me (and such a unique personality) that I don’t quite know what to say here. But I am grateful for all the expressions of sympathy and I’ll be knitting and writing again very soon. As she would say, “It’ll be fun!”
Neighbood Fiber Lust
Somehow Karida's colorways always sing.
Last night I bought a bunch of Karida‘s worsted from Danielle, solely from a fear that someone else would do it. Danielle has become my dealer, dropping hints that supply might be low sometime soon, encouraging me to make more and more socks out of this amazing yarn, pocketing my hard-earned cash…fiendish Danielle!
Next up, some photos of the afghan I’m working on.
The last couple of months have been all about finished objects. This ought to have resulted in a lot of posts and photos…but it hasn’t yet. Soon, hopefully.
Scarf for Andy
Here’s an old photo of a scarf I’m making for Andy, out of Neighborhood Fiber Co.‘s brilliant Studio Worsted in Brightwood (available locally from Knit-a-Gogo!). If I could, I would knit everything out of this yarn.
Heck, maybe I will…
New Hair
In celebration of my new job, I had my hair dyed red (and cut). The color terrifies me and the cut is a little 70s…but it will resolve itself. Right? Right?!?
Unravelling…
I may have just completely lost my mind, but I have started a group on Ravelry: Wodehousian Fiber Artists. Already three people have joined, which I didn’t really expect, somehow. [But which is very cool!]
I hesitate to go on too much about Ravelry because not everyone who wants to be in is in, yet. But it really is super-duper.
Artyarns at Screening
Sock for Stephanie, made out of glorious Artyarns Supermerino, knit at screening for the film festival.
Andy and I are on the selection committee for the Alexandria International Film Festival, in its glorious first year. We’re going to be spending a lot of time in our local rec center, watching submitted films. But that’s as it should be. Some of the films are fantastic. Patti, the founder and chair of the festival, says she can tell when a film has “got me” because I stop knitting.
By the end of this, we’ll have Socks for Everyone!
Movin’ Right Along
Whee!
As always on Andy’s and my road trips, the ribbed socks came out.
Finished two on the way home. Left: Artyarns Supermerino; Right, Neighborhood Fiber Co.
Knit Like You Mean It. 