Especially when you can come back with “I made it!”
Perhaps now is NOT the time to knit that ski sweater I’ve got my eye on. I’ve even knitted the swatch for a Slopes Pullover from the cover of KnitScene Winter 2016. But now, after hearing this sweater compliment when I checked into my hotel in DC, I’m thinking, ‘Why am I knitting a ski sweater and more woolen socks?’ and ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to work on a nice cotton yarn?’
Slopes Pullover from KnitScene’s Winter 2016 Issue
I’d reknit this “Perfect Periwinkle” sweater by Stefanie Japel in a heartbeat now! Maybe even using a purple yarn like the fuchsia Bernat Panama Worsted Weight cotton I have in my stash.
The Sweater in Question
Bernat Panama in fuchsia — I’ve got over 1800 yards of the stuff
And maybe I’ll make up my own cardigan pattern to go with it or modify her Off-Rib Cardigan to make it match. 😊
It was it a lazy weekend. I was really sick the week before and I was really trying to get well. I’ve got another pair of socks on the needles, but what was I doing? Looking up the cost of apartments in a couple of the buildings we saw getting renovated in Florence. And surprisingly, they were affordable. In fact it is cheaper to buy a place there than Seattle—by half! And I’m talking about walking distance to the Duomo with a view of the Arno. Of course many of them are centuries old and need some work…
David
This building had two apartments for sale and is across the road from the Arno and looks at the Uffizi
The Duomo seen from the Belvedere
Okay. Enough shillyshallying and daydreaming. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.
You know when someone tells you “That was one of the best days of my life?” Yeah. This was this day.
This is me, in Florence, Italy sitting in a wine bar with a balcony over the Arno river and I’m looking at the Ponte Vecchio. I’ve had the perfect amount of food and drink and I wishing this moment would never end.
I cannot believe it took me so long to get to Italy.
Most people think of Milan is the “industrial” capital of Italy and they wouldn’t be wrong, The Italian headquarters for my company along with many other US-based tech firms is based there. And while I did manage to avoid “going to work” out of curiosity, I did see a great deal of what makes the city amazing–sites and fabrics.
The Duomo in the morning–and a poster of an upcoming visit from “Papa Francisco”
Inside the Duomo
The gateway to the Gallery from the Piazzo del Duomo
Sforza statue
Leonardo and his four students
The Sforza Castle (roaded rocks to prevent scaling)
The towerhouse of the castle built by the French when they took over Milan and white washed all the internal walls including paintings by Leonardo de Vinci
I’m going to focus on sites first. And then show a few fabrics next time (need photos).
When I visited the Teatro alla Scala they were having a dress rehearsal for Verdi’s Don Carlos–AMAZING!
Places I visited on a city walking Tour with Sara Cerri–well worth it!
What was sorely lacking from the trip was knit shops and while I found a few here and there, they were either difficult to find, or yarn wasn’t their primary business so I left Italy (happily for my husband) with only the yarn I brought with me–which was, as usual for vacation–more than I needed.
Crest of the Sforzas in the ceiling of their castle
The ceiling of the covered gallery where Prada and Tiffany’s are in Milan
Rooftop of the Duomo
Rooftop of the duomo
Photo through the scaffolding (church is under repair and cleaning)
One of the cleaned (sand blasted) and repaired sections of the rooftop
I’m beat today. I’ve been on the road for a week and a half and still have a few more days to go on my trip—a full two weeks in transit.
What I’m most embarrassed about is my lack of knitting. I did knit waiting for planes and sitting on them, but when I was at my destinations (DC, Columbus, Amherst and Calgary), I simply couldn’t muster the energy. So my progress on my socks has been quite slow. Perhaps if I’d spent more time knitting than shoe shopping and real key lime pie eating, I’d have gotten farther.
New scuffs from DC
I’m using Socktacular by KnitPicks book as a pattern. And though it was a bit less convenient for travel, it was so worth it to bring it along because there are so many fun choices to make. After much dithering, I selected top-down, afterthought heels with standard toe with a moss rib style.
Just starting out
One done (except for the heel)
One Sock Down; One on the Way
At the placeholder for the afterthought heel
Because it is a first pair in a long time and the second pair ever, I chose to use a “free” yarn that was gifted to me by the San Juan Fiber Guild,Zitron Trekking XXL Farbenspiel. This way I could experiment on the socks, make whatever errors I might and not care about the cost.
Dyed in the Wool by Spincycle Yarns in Shades of Earth
Hiding the $$ because my hubby reads my blog.
Admiring the Kestrel at Tolt Yarn and Wool–especially the Togue Pond Class
I’m making a one-day stop at home to get a few fresh clothes—but leave again this afternoon. Still I had enough time to drive out to Carnation, WA and get to Tolt Yarn and Wool for a bit of retail therapy. The socks that will come from these Shades of Earth, Dyed in the Wool by Spincycle Yarns in Bellingham, WA will be quite a bit more precious.
I hope everyone’s holiday was great! Mine was a bit shaky to start and maybe that’s why my knitting scheme is distinctly gray.
Cold and Clear in the Puget Sound
Of course, it is always a bit gray in the Puget Sound in January, but in this case I’m referring to my yarn and projects. And oddly the weather is quite lovely, if cold. I’m really enjoying my new camera and the two (!) pancake lenses I got for Christmas, a 25MM and a 40MM for portraits.
Two Pancake Lens for my New Camera
California Quail Treed by a Cat in Idaho Over Christmas
It’s astounding to me, but it’s only January 10th and already I’m onto my fourth project this year.
Arm Knitted Capelet out of Brucilla’s Mega-Bulky in Linen and Charcoal
I’m only in the swatching stage for the latest cast on, so I’ll post photos once it gets further along. My three completed FOs were quickie projects—mainly because I’ve been traveling and needed a portable set of projects. So they are a hat, a hood, and my first arm knitted project, a capelet.
My New Year’s started off pretty good with a lovely gift of yarn from the mother of my husband’s youngest child—who doesn’t seem very young anymore at 14. Katia Royal Silk is a beautiful baby alpaca yarn. I am actively looking for a pattern to show this beautiful yarn to the best advantage.
Nick’s Youngest Daughter Bringing in the Horses in Micanopy, FL.
The trip was fraught with problems—largely due to the fact I’d been constantly traveling up until we were to go and was too exhausted to pay attention to details. So I only found out the trip was six days long (not four as I was told) after we were there and this meant medication, underwear, you name it, were not right in the right supply for the trip.
The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at Kennedy Space CenterRocket Booster for the Atlantis Shuttle
On the bright side, I was able to visit the Kennedy Space Center, which was terrific fun for a space nut like me. My one regret was not arriving earlier and staying longer.
Onto the knitting and new yarn additions to my stash.
Sublime in So Many Ways!
Last Fall I won a gift certificate to Knitterly from the Woolful blog and picked up some beautiful Sublime baby cashmere, merino, and silk blend in two shades of gray.
Andorra Wrap from O-Wool
The gals at Knitterly helped me find exactly what I wanted and were really lovely when my first selections were out of stock. With this purchase I meant to create some Wurm hats for the fam damily, but when it arrived and realized how soft and beautiful it was, I decided it needed to be something as pretty as it is—I’m still on the hunt for a pattern—but I’m tempted to buy more and knit this Andorra wrap. I’ll need to figure out how to change it to worsted instead of fingering weight.
Gray Wurm out of stashed gray and black wools of unknown origin
I did knit a gray Wurm, but I used a worsted gray and some leftover black from my stash. I’m sure my nephew will only care that it is wooly and warm.
The hood is for those chilly days on island, but I might send it off to nephew’s girlfriend that inspired me to find a pattern for it. I modified it be a normal rectangle—like the one she’s already got—rather than going with the pattern decreases. If I do it again, I think I’ll use short rows to get rid of the pointiness. When I wear it I feel like a character in Lord of the Rings.
Yoga Hood Inspired by my Nephew’s Girlfriend
This non-gray item was made from a Christmas gift from last year–a skein of Lion Brand Homespun, which is both pretty and washable. I was happy to see lots of folks on Ravelry had used it for this project–so problem solved on what to do with this lone skein.
It’s been a funny Thanksgiving. For the last month I’ve been traveling all over the place for work. And I knew that I just didn’t have the ability to do more, so I opted out of the family tradition of dinner with the family in Idaho.
The Biggest Margaritas Ever!
After spending a whole day traveling amongst folks that rarely travel (going to visit family like I normally would be doing), I was beat. I got to Dallas Fort Worth and found I had a long layover, so I paid for a shower and a nap. After all I did get up at 4AM in Mexico City to catch the first leg of my travel.
Then there was the next flight where I spent most the time looking out the window—when I wasn’t messing up my helix jogless knitting hat; which is now a colorful, messy jumble of frogged yarns. First the desert. Then snow, then clouds, the umbra (earth’s shadow) and finally a nearly full moon.
Yikes! How’d this bug get between the two panes of glass?
Early in the Voyage
Over Colorado?
Umbra Looking East
What really got to me was the two-hour drive followed by an hour ferry to the Island. While we were waiting for the ferry I finally got around to applying my Orcas Island sticker (OI) to the back window of my car. When I showed it to my husband he quipped (since I had two) “You should put one on the other side upside down on the opposite side; after all I do feel like I’m married to a volcanic moon most the time.”
He’s Looking a Bit Guilty, No?
OI Sticker
Along the Ferry Ride to Shaw and Orcas
I was pretty tired after the drive so it took me a minute to put it together—he meant Jupiter’s moon IO. Ha! Ha!
Anyhow, glad to be home, even if my husband is the snarkmaster. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
When I first moved (back) to the Pacific Northwest over 15 years ago one of the first things I did was look for a knitting group. It turned out to be a local guild (Carnation, WA). At the time I didn’t know the difference between a group and a guild. But I’ve had a recent “ah ha!” moment in the Orcas Island knitting scene and I’m looking to see if others would agree with my notions on the subject.
The Fiber Expo at the Mullins Center, Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
In my experience, guilds tend to meet regularly. They have fixed days/times (3rd Monday of the month). They have announcements and agendas. This could include a fiber tasting, class or lecture, picking and doing knit-a-longs or charity work, or just “good-to-knows” in the local fiber scene. And in some cases, not all, they belong to some sort of registry like TKGA. In Washington state, only one is listed (Seattle), but I know of at least 10 more—many very formal and extremely active despite their lack of association to larger body.
Items knitted by fellow guild membersMore Guild Knitted Items
Groups, like the one I formed at work, are much informal. I go to my own about twice a month, but the weekly meeting stays on the calendar so people can show up even when I’m not there. But I don’t go out of my way to make sure there is a person in charge of the meeting. If no one shows, that’s okay too! When we’ve got a big group usually the talk turns to yarn, knit travels, our projects on needles and upcoming shop crawls.
Member of the Orcas Group Teaching Weaving
Some guilds have both formal and informal meetings. For instance in Eastside Knitters (in Bellevue, WA) meet monthly as a guild and some of the same ladies (plus or minus a few others) gather once a week in the same building’s coffee shop for a “knit in”.
On WKIP (World Knit in Public Day) this year I was drinking a local cider and eating at my favorite pub, The Lower Tavern when a young lady asked me if I wanted to join the local knitting group on Thursday nights at Island Hoppin’ Brewery. Knitting and beer, what could be better? Although I haven’t gone yet, the owners, Nate and Becca regularly crab in the bay by our place, so one evening when they were at the beach pulling in crab pots, I asked them about it.
“Yeah. Sometimes people are knitting on the couches—but usually only in winter when there’s not much else to do.”
Definitely a group, not a guild.
What I finally did do this week (after missing several other opportunities) was go to another “knitting group” at Warm Valley Orchard hosted by Maria Nutt, one of the island shepherdesses. The talk was of animals/breeds, natural dyes, swapped fleeces with Australia, fairs where we can submit our work or man the exhibits/booths, etc.
My Warm Waffle Mitts and Hat on Display at the Expo
While there was some trading of tips and handing around of objects (mostly hand dyed and spun wool), but for the most part—it was about the business of fiber, though most, like me, are knitting for themselves, friends and family. And next week, when Maria is away, one of the other ladies who she’s known for 20 years will be opening the studio for the gathering. I didn’t ask if they were a guild, but if they aren’t I’ll be surprised. It’s too bad I spend most Tuesday nights on the mainland, otherwise they could count on me every week!
Riding the Klahowya “Island Hopper” Ferry from Friday Harbor back to Orcas Island
And though I can’t make most of the weekday meetings I was able to participate that next weekend in the San Juan Island Craft & Fiber Arts Expo—manning the Knitting and Crochet table to teach people if they had an interest.
So there’s my thoughts on the differences. Both are lovely and have their place and I really like ones that straddle the line best.
What’s your preference? Do you participate in both or are you mostly an online group member?
Ah the dream of a having a different lifestyle. I’m part way there since I purchased a second home on Orcas Island, though this creates some new challenges (like commuting and costs of second home ownership). It’s definitely quieter spending half weeks here and I suspect it will get even better when I trade the city house for a pied-à-terre.
November will mark my fifth anniversary with my lovely, brilliant husband. And for the first time in my life, it has been a joint endeavor putting clothes on back, food on table and a roof overhead. I have a great paying job—and have had for many years, but the older I get in high-tech the younger everyone else seems, the faster the pace moves, and the more I feel like I’m slipping behind. A book that has helped is French Women Don’t Get Facelifts by Mireille Guiliano. She found a second career in writing—something I love to do too—after being the CEO of Verve Clicquot USA.
Kayaking in Lover’s Cove, Orcas Island
These days I‘m often asked to speak to young researchers about careers and yet, deep inside, I feel a bit lost. So how can I, in good faith, tell them what they should be doing to be successful when I’m not sure about my own career? Of course we are at different career stages, so my advice works for them. It just doesn’t work for me. Not anymore.
There was one bit of advice that I got early in my career than might still be true though, ‘risk equals happiness.’ If you are willing to risk everything, you are much more likely to find a career that you are enthusiastic about.
Sign on one of my deer proof gardens
So is it time to consider that now?
I look at people like Karen Templer and her small business Fringe Association she moved to Nashville, Tennessee and Ashley Yousling of Woolful who has recently moved to Idaho (a place I worked so hard to get out of) to start a sheep ranch. Both women in tech who followed their dreams. I’ll admit it, I’m green with envy. After all, I’ve been in tech since before they were out of diapers. The point being that younger people can set an example for older ones. You find sages at all ages, no?
Russian blackberries growing everywhere–too many to pick!Fresh Gala Apples from the Garden–Yum!Baby kiwi’s (much bigger now)
People, and knitters especially, on the island are lovely. “Borrow my loom, please!” and “Stop by for my knitting circle”. The problem is my split life. I simply cannot be an islander and be a constant traveler, researcher and strategist.
More and more I feel the pull of my creative side and I’ve even been talking to a couple of friends on island on how I might promote this site and potentially start selling things—here and at the local gift shops. Even my husband has gotten into it by telling me I should set up a shop called Fruit and Fiber where we could sell my chutneys and the many fruits of our garden alongside wool from the island wool makers and mitts and bags I make from it.
Green Gages PlumsI’ve got these prune plums coming out my ears!
The trouble is I’d need the time to *make* these items. I also wonder how it will change my desire to knit when it won’t be for myself or gifts for my friends and family. What happens when it becomes my job. Will I still love it so much? I think so.
I’ve got designs and patterns that my friends say will sell and the San Juans, especially Orcas Island, are a vacation mecca where people come to buy little reminders of their trips (or they get cold and buy it out of necessity). They think that even if I didn’t go “online” I’d still have a market for my goods.
A seed Stitch Bag–partially my own design
Well that’s my quandary for today. It makes me want to miss the late ferry back to the mainland Monday night. Perhaps not today, but someday. Hopefully soon.
It’s been awhile since I posted. What have I been up to? Knitting! Well that and lots of travel. Too much in fact!
Two books from Quince & Co. Home and Away and Madder 2
I’ve just finished my very first knit-a-long (KAL). I’ve always been tempted, but nothing has ever bit. I’m particularly uneasy about “Mystery KALs” because I worry I won’t like the end product. Money, time and opportunity costs are problematic when they are in limited supply.
So what’s different this time? Plenty!
The Woolful KAL for July had no time limit and no pattern choice—just a book choice. And what a lovely book it is: Home and Away: Knits for Everyday Adventures by Hannah Fettig. I love the clean lines and simplicity of the patterns—it matches my aesthetic to a tee. And I knew just from glancing through the patterns on Ravelry, I’d be learning new skills along the way.
Collar is 72 rows of garter stitch
Being me, I couldn’t choose one pattern—I had to put my stamp on it, so I merged the Georgetown which had the shaping and sizing I loved with the Hancock which had the fabric I loved. The garter edging just stood out and it also reminded me of another of one of Carrie Bostick Hoge’s patterns in my queue, Maeve.
Yummy Kathryn Taylor Chocolates–made here in Orcas Island. One of the things that helped me finish!
At first I made very rapid progress, so much faster than on Nick’s sweater, which seemed to take a huge amount of time. Of course bigger needles and DK instead of sport weight also had something to do with it, but the complexity of the pattern (the KAL is much easier) also had an impact. But there was trouble in paradise.
Shaped to fit me
In a knit.fm podcast (the 8th?) Pam Allen said something like “It’s much harder to create a simple pattern.” I agree. To add to that, knitting classic, simple looking patterns can be challenging to get right. This is because they show everything. So while the knitting went quickly, I felt like I was constantly tearing it out and starting over. This is not the pattern’s fault—these were errors you’d think I would have grown out of my now!
Obvious color change when I changed skeins discovered on a flight to Atlanta
The Challenges:
Even though I’d remembered to alternate balls on Nick’s hand-dyed sweater which used hand dyed yarn, I failed to do so on the WoolfulKAL. And as a regular reader of The Fringe Association blog, I’d also seen Karen Templar have a similar experience. Yet there I was starting over 2/3 of the way up the back.
The cap shaping fit with the body like a glove–only after I counted every row!
Then there was the back and front panels being off by two inches. I was doing this sweater mostly on airplanes and I’m a “carry-on” fanatic. So I didn’t have the back piece with me when I knit the fronts (the advantage of knitting in pieces). In the end, I was counting every row front, back and sleeves to make sure they all matched identically. Yet another reason for me to try out top down, seamless knitting and Hannah suggests.
The last issue is another one we all know—that your gauge changes if you knit at different times. And though you can often block these things out, sometimes you just can’t. On my longest flight to and from Seattle-Frankfurt. I got loads of knitting done on the seemingly endless collar only to find that jetlagged knitting isn’t good knitting—dropped stitches, split stitches—things I haven’t done in years. So the entire collar had to removed and redone.
It’s all finished now and the first thing I did was curl up in it and fall asleep. I guess you can teach an old knitter new tricks!
Orcas Island Knitting 