The Leftover Shawl

There's no better way to celebrate a blog's facelift than with a picture of one cute kid. This is Julia, modelling the shawl I made last week while I was home on a sick day.

The piece is called the "Leftover Shawl" because it was a perfect way to use the extra Cotton Classic I've been accumulating for the past few months. The colors went very well together and when I was done, I knew it just wouldn't be mine. It has Julia's name written all over it. I gave it to her on the condition that her mother send me a picture to post.

The pattern is about as easy as it gets -- start with four stitches on size 10 needles. K2, YO, K to end. Repeat on every row. Easy as pie.

And cute as a button!

Wendy on Wendy

Dear Wendy,

With much anticipation, I headed to Arundel Mills at lunchtime to pick up a copy of your book. I managed to snag the only copy on the shelf (not sure if they only ordered one copy, or if it was simply almost sold out -- I prefer to think the latter, as you do). And so I commence with my commentary ... after many scans and readings over my afternoon commute (stuck in traffic), dishwashing (not an errant drop fell), and sitting with my youngest while he finished his dinner (after spending the entire time the rest of us were eating complaining about his lima beans). Finally, after dinner, I found a quiet 10 minutes and read the introduction twice.

Now I admit, I was a little worried ... I read your blog every day, and it boggles my mind what you are able to accomplish with teensy tiny sticks on a regular basis. I was worried that by buying your book I was committing myself to a tricky Wendy design. I've admired you from afar (not that far, I'll bet we're less than 100 miles apart) after stumbling on your site from a feeble google search for "Wendy" and "Knit" (it's a name thing). But you did not let me down ... in fact, I'm feeling rather buoyed right about now.

To start, let me first say that I too am a "Quasi-Leftie-Untensioned-Picker-Knitter," which is not to be confused with a One-Eyed, One-Horned Flying Purple People Eater. I'm no lefty (though my littlest is), but I was taught by a left-handed knitter who didn't know how to do a long-tail cast on. I too used to spend way more time than necessary casting on with two sticks.

I think we may be kindred spirits, and I really, really hope to track you down one day soon (perhaps at Sheep and Wool) or catch you one day on the subway.

I can't wait to start some of the patterns ... you just make even the most complicated seem so very, very doable.

You are truly the queen to the KOARC.

Love,
WendyI

Classic Ending

The first project of Spring is complete.

I actually finished Fad Classic by Knit and Tonic Wendy a week ago, but haven’t felt well enough this week to blog. I think it turned out pretty well, even though in the time since I completed the vest she found some errors and re-issued the pattern. That's what I get for being so eager.

But, given the fact that I made some minor modifications on my own while I knitted this up, I think it's going to work. I may even hold it for a gift down the road. I have such a tiny chest that I think it may work better for someone with a little more. I just have to pick my victim, er, recipient.

The color is more coral than peach, but not orange. And the stitch pattern makes it seem more crocheted than knitted, which gives the vest a little more bulk than expected.

Fad Classic was a great project. The stitches were fun, and it knitted up quickly. And it made me remember that I really like to work with Tahki Cotton Classic. Back in the fall around the holidays, I made tons of facecloths to accompany the homemade soaps and bath salts that I make each year for Christmas, and the women at my LYS were calling "Wendy the Washcloth Woman" as a result. But then I switched to wool for the rest of the winter. This vest made me yearn for warm weather and spring. While I was working on this project, the weather warmed up nicely and the days were sunny. For the past week, the weather here in the Mid-Atlantic has been a little wet and cloudy.

In my feeble attempt to influence the weather by knitting more cotton, I cast on yesterday for a revised version of the Perfect Pie Shawl in Melanie Falick's Weekend Knitting. I'm making it in Tahki Cotton in a nice ecru -- and think it will be a great transition season wrap. Since I'm doing it on size 10.5 needles, it's very loose and lacy. Beach sand will shake out of it nicely.

Now ... for a big announcement. The name of this blog is going to change. A few months back, I thought that I would start a separate blog for my spinning exploits, and came up with what I thought to be a very clever name ... MUCH more clever than Textile Paradise. So ... I've decided to rename myself. The URL will stay the same for a few weeks, but visitors will notice that the blog has received a nice facelift before the URL changes. Comment and let me know your thoughts!

Random Snake Handling

After a busy, busy Monday at work, I came home and found Mrs. Frisby (our cat) playing with something interesting in the driveway. My young boys were quick to check things out and discovered that it was, in fact, a teensy little garter snake.

A garter snake that my littlest promptly named Erik.

I did what any mother in her wrong mind would do. I put him in a bin.

After much oohing and aahing by the boys, we went in the house. And the cat promptly took Erik out of the bin.

After dinner, little one headed out to check on the snake, and he was gone (of course). So he came to me, begging me with his little blue eyes -- endearing me -- "Mommy, you HAVE to find Erik. Frisby may have killed him." (He aspires to be Dr. Doolittle and sincerely cares about nearly every animal he meets -- except the springtime ants. He squashes them like the bugs they are.)

So, I went out to look. I took one step out the door, nearly stepped on the damn snake, squealed like the girl I am and then calmly said, "Found him."

I put said snake back in the bin. More oohing and aahing commenced, with little one begging to keep the snake and hubby coming out to see our reptilian friend for the first time. Rather than keep the snake (this is where I draw the line. We have two fishtanks, a beagle AND a snake-catching cat), we opted to let him loose in the woods behind our house. This was after a very long debate on the snake habitat ... and Christopher's insistence that he could put one leaf under him and one leaf on top of him to keep him warm at night (LOL). I even enlisted my father's help in convincing my son that Erik needed to go back to his tree stump (after reminding him that my cat is SO much cooler than his cat).

Then, being the truly cool mother I am, I picked Erik up behind the head (he was too beaten up to even curl himself up around my hand), and Christopher -- clad in pajamas, penny loafers and a baseball cap (you just have to picture it) -- joined me in taking Erik as far away from the house as possible and placing him on a tree stump. Christopher agreed that my picking up the snake catapulted me into "Coolest Mother in the World" status (I don't want him to ever forget that his mom wasn't afraid to pick up a snake).

I'm pretty sure he'll pass tonight -- Mrs. Frisby had a really good time with him before I got to him -- but in a way, I hope he doesn't. I certainly don't want him in my house or on my porch, but there's something just a teensy bit intriguing to know that there's a chance my boys may cross paths with a little garter snake again one day. Very Dennis the Menace, don't you think? As long as Erik doesn't end up in a jeans pocket, it's OK by me.

Reading, Knitting and Waiting for Spring

Hey Harlot,

A few weeks ago, I had a wonderful daytrip planned for Saturday, April 8. I was planning on hopping in the car and driving to Doylestown, PA to see you in person and get you to sign my copy of your new book, Knitting Rules! But yesterday in Baltimore was dreary and rainy, and I just couldn't bring myself to lose nearly three hours of knitting time (I couldn't get DH and the Boys enthused about a drive in nasty weather. Curse the gods. If it had been sunny, he would have driven in a heartbeat).

Around 5 p.m., I found myself very sad about my decision. So I loaded up the band and we headed to Barnes and Noble and I picked up an unsigned (sigh) copy.


Less than 12 hours later (and a portion of that was devoted to sleep), I was done. In fact, I just finished.

I've read your other two books cover to cover, and keep them in my knitting basket in case I need a pick-me-up, and this book was every bit as entertaining as the others. This book, however, has an instructional quality that the others don't -- with Harlot patterns that make even a pi shawl sound easy. It has commentary on every knitting staple out there -- scarves, socks, shawls, sweaters [I left out hats because the alliteration would have lost something] ... and its done so plainly and with such humor that its a fabulous read. It's like Harot Touched By Zimmerman. And I absolutely love it.

Can you please come to Baltimore some day so us Marylanders can meet the woman who makes OCD a regular part of life? There are so many of us who thank you from the bottom of our stashes for making our obsessions with yarn and needles and tape measures OK.

And on another note...
Earlier this week, I was stricken with a major case of Spring Fever. The weather was warm, it was great to be outside, and I had serious hopes that I could put the winter coats away for good. I even cast on to make FadClassic. But then the weather shifted and I'm working on this nifty little vest that makes me lament even more that it's cold outside. But I'm moving along on it.

A few notes about the piece. Firstly, I got the pattern from KnitandTonic Wendy, who perhaps should get a platinum yarn medal for "Flash Your Stash" photo from April 1. What makes that shot even cooler is that her husband did the set up and that the picture doesn't include ALL of her yarn. You can read about that in her blog.

Anyway, I cast on on Wednesday and ended frogging the sleeves and starting over on Thursday (I didn't do a provisional cast-on for the sleeves like I should have because I DIDN'T READ THE INSTRUCTIONS), but I'm making good progress. It's a nifty little vest in Tahki cotton (she did green, I opted for coral because green makes me look sickly), and I think it's going to be cute either by itself or over a little t-shirt or even a blouse. Cute, cute cute.

BUT ... even though it's knitted in the round, there is purling involved. I would have known this going in if I had read the pattern from beginning to end, but instead, I made an assumption that will slow up my knitting. But that's OK. Especially since the weather has gone and gotten nasty again ... there's no real rush (at least until the weather warms again. Then I'll be driving myself mad trying to finish it in time).

In it's current state, it looks rather bra-like. My youngest son asked me if I was making "one of those funny-looking knitted swimsuits" yesterday. I assured him I was not. The honestly of children (and their knowledge about such things as knitted bikinis) sometimes boggles the mind.

AWOL Blogger and the Poncho Worn

Indeed I have been AWOL. I apologize to any loyal readers out there. But between my ENTIRE family coming down with an insidious germ that sent everyone to the prone position for a week and rendered me unable to find the will even to knit -- along with the fact that life and work had to proceed uninhibited throughout, well, it's been a rough couple of weeks.

Now we're gearing up for end-of-the-year scout activities and baseball for both children. I hope to keep this up!

In any event, I have been quite derelict in posting pictures of the Olympic poncho modeled by Vicki. But first a tease -- here's what she did with the fringe.

And here she donning the winning garment. Nuff said. (And I'd like to point out that she's standing in front of her new front porch--part of a massive remodeling project that nearly knocked her and Pete senseless last year.)

Another Olympic Feat

Those of you who know my aunt also know that she's a knitter. From way back. I have sweet memories of the teensy tiny finger puppets she knit me when I was a child (knowing what I know now, they had to be, like, size 000 or something equally tiny).

She's also an Olympic knitter. For the Knitting Olympics, my aunt elected to try an aran -- a complicated piece of yarnwork filled with cables and twists and calculations that make your head spin. She updated the design to make it a hip sweater for my cousin. Here she is wearing the little gem:

(If any guys are interested yes, she's single)

And here's a closeup on the cables:

Totally medal worthy. Now I want one.

Lizard Socks and the Real Deal

Everyone knows I was out of town, but I haven't had much time to tell my story about knitting on the airplane. I still don't have the time.

But I will say that it seemed somehow special that I had the chance to look at some of these ...


... while I finished these.


You're looking at socks created in Opal's "Chameleon" colorpath. My son has been calling him his "lizard socks." He was more happy with them than with the stuffed octopus I brought him! In fact, that's why they're all stretched out. He wore them for two solid days.

At the Westin del Mar

So I'm here, in Puerto Rico ... as everyone who reads this knows. I transfered to the Westin Rio del Mar today and here's a picture:

Want to know what the best part of being at the Westin is? We're right across from the national rainforest here, El Yunque:

Knitting on an airplane

I don't have much time to post because I'm traveling for work -- here in sunny Puerto Rico where things are way too expensive.

I have multiple funny stories to share, but no real time. So I'll leave you with a few pictures from Rio Grande, which is a tremendously expensive cab drive away from San Juan, but very very beautiful. I stopped by the beach on my way back to my room. Near sunset ... here are two views: one looking east, and one looking west. Those with good directionals should know which is which.

And the winner is...

So, here's the final picture of the poncho. My Olympic feat. Sorry, Vicki, but this is the only pic you get until I get back from Puerto Rico and wrap it. This isn't something I can just send home with our courier.

And for this,

I earned this.

Tonight, we fringe.

I'm almost done. As long as I don't break an arm or acquire a life-threatening virus between now and Sunday, I will complete this Olympic challenge. That's right, kiddies ... I cast off the poncho last night and tonight I start the fringe! I wish Vicki were home instead of on vacation so she could watch this project come to an end. Had I not suffered that bout of knitter's fatigue last week, she might have been able to take it on her cruise.

A victory pic will be featured here when we are fully complete, but for now, spectators should be content with this:

Once the fringing is done, I will be free to chase other pursuits -- like finishing a pair of socks (I just haven't been able to dedicate the time it takes to turn a heel on a toe-up pattern) and spinning up the remainder of the superwash roving I got a few weeks ago from my local yarn store.

Speaking of my yarn store, can I just tell you how WONDERFUL they are there? The owner and I had a deep philosophical discussion yesterday about spinning wheels. Well, I admit that I'm not sure if it was deep OR philosophical, but it was nice to know that I didn't walk out with a spinning wheel. I had my eyes on a Babe Pinkie, but wanted more info -- not to mention feedback on when and where I might actually TRY a wheel before buying one. Can I tell you that she offered two options -- 1) She's going to be working on setting up a class for those of us who are hand spindlers and ready to move to a wheel without having to learn how to card and comb a fleece OR 2) She volunteered to set up a floor model one day and get it moving so I could sit down and play. Is that good customer service or what? Had she simply been a pusher, I probably would have walked out with an Ashford Traveler under my arm. Now there's good salesmanship -- I was ripe for the picking and she recognized that it would be a disaster to my spinning career if I got home with a wheel, tried it wrong and hated it and ended up leaving it in a corner to dry out and get dusty. Not to mention an unsuitable fate for a work of art.

After the Olympics, I'll post some of my newly spun yarn. I'm getting better.

Round and Round I Go

I've been fast at work on Vicki's poncho since my last post ... going around and around ... straight knitting with four yarnovers in every other row. Progress is being made ... and believe it or not, I only have about three more inches to go.

That's good news, considering the fact that I only have about four more days left before the Torino games are over.

And now a little Olympic commentary. Can I just tell you that I just love Chad Hedrick and Shaun White? I don't know why, particularly, I just do. And they medaled for us, which makes it all the better. And Kimmie Meissner's short program yesterday was just too much fun to watch. So enthusiastic -- and that triple-triple combo was to die for. Of course, she hails from a town about 30 minutes from me. Gotta root for the home-town girl.

Keep those medals coming, Team USA!

Olympic Update

As of yesterday, the US was ahead for gold medals in Torino. And here's where I was on the poncho:

I have about 14-15 inches done, so I suppose I'm about halfway to where I need to be. Not bad for being less than a week into the project. But I'm definitely going to have to go out at lunch and get some longer needles ... the reason it looks so "skinny" is because everything is squeezed on the circular.

In non-Olympic news, I'm nearly done the first crazy stripe sock. Not sure I'm going to cast on right away for the next one. I don't know if its the color or the pattern I chose, but I'm just not digging it this week. For some reason, I'm having flashbacks of my "Great Shape Barbie" and her legwarmers (incidentally, the same color combination). I wasn't a big fan of the 80s.

Also, I got some more alpaca spun this weekend. I continue to stand behind my assertion that this stuff is heaven on a spindle!

And we're off!

The games have begun. For me, and for my fellow FOUR THOUSAND KNITTERS around the globe. I came home tonight eager to cast on to get started on my poncho, and have been knitting furiously all night. I made the decision to stop once the United States was announced in the Parade of Nations. So I did. And here’s where I am so far. Right now, the poncho looks rather like something from the lingerie section. Vicki, don’t panic. I'm not knitting your cruise bikini.

I also appear to be making massive progress here in this first pic … but rest assured this will slow once it grows in width.

So far, I’m feeling good about this year’s Olympics. And so is my son … who was totally inspired by the pre-ceremony recaps of training runs for the alpine downhill (along with his fabulous imagination!)

And so I depart this evening … Citius, Alitius Fortius.

Here they come!

Well, the Knitting Olympics begin in a little more than 13 hours. My yarn is balled, the needles are ready, and at 8:00 p.m. tonight, I'll get started on my Harlot Poncho. That's good news for Vicki, for sure ... and also good news for my aunt, who I'm starting to scare with my spinning, LOL.

Expect regular progress pictures ... with some occasional sock progress tossed in for sanity and good measure (plus, the sock is way more portable than a poncho and they just live in my purse waiting for an opportune moment).

Not quite sure how I'm going to concentrate today. At least this challenge is starting on a Friday night ...

More spinning...

OK, so now I'm a beginning spinner. But my first yarn was overspun and (I think) unusable. So I set out at lunchtime today for some expert advice. I head over to my local yarn shop. The owner was a TREMENDOUS help and promised to stop by the blog and look at my first try.

While I was there I picked up an Asford top-whirl spindle (for some reason, all the beginner demos use those, rather than a low-whirl like the one I already have) and some new roving. Chris recommended ALPACA (I'm feeling very luxurious tonight) and it damn near killed me to get through the rest of the day. I couldn't wait to get home to give it all a try.

So, after my children were legitimately impressed by the fact that mommy was spinning "llama hair" into yarn, I got to it. And I'm much happier with the results.

I'm honestly not sure whether it's the practice, or the fact that I think I have the process a little more under control, or that alpaca is extremely loose and airy compared to the wool, but I think this is more uniform and less overly twisty. I might actually make something out of this...

Just how much yarn will 3 oz of alpaca give you, I wonder ...

Oh, and before anyone thinks that the socks were abandoned, here they are completed:

The spindle is posing next to it because that alpaca is just so very photogenic. I actually finished the socks on Monday ... and then cast on another pair to squeeze in before the Olympics. Already turned the heel on #1.

And the first skein... voila!

I'm hoping that Annie May will stop by and comment on my first attempt at spinning.

Last night, instead of spinning tons of roving only to set the twist and find out that I did it all wrong and made a great big mess, I decided to do a small bit. And here it is:


It's messy. It's bumpy and lumpy. But it isn't a bad first try. I tried a little more today, so I'll keep at it until I have something thin enough to ply and actually use ;)

Spinning!

OK, it's official. I'm out of hand.

I went on eBay this week and ordered a drop spindle and some roving to give spinning a try. It arrived today. The roving is absolutely gorgeous -- soft and fluffy like a cloud and a fine hunter green that this picture just doesn't do justice to.

So ... after a short time of reading the how-tos and whatnots (and trying to figure out why my new yarn wasn't automatically winding on the spindle -- duh, that part's manual), I had managed to make this:

It's lumpy and bumpy ... and really, really thin in places, but it's handmade. And it's my very own homespun! A special thanks to Annie May for this wonderful new toy -- and to Wendy's helpful advice in response to my questions about hand spinning.

And now for the really funny part -- when my husband asked what I was doing and I told him (and pointed out that I imagine this would be much easier with a wheel), he pointed out that a spinning wheel could go in our basement. To top things off, our friend Larry (if you read past entries, he's an "appreciator") pointed out the same thing. They're both genuinely impressed, methinks ... and while I think it's great, it could be some very subtle attempt at mind control (if they agree I should get a wheel than I'll follow reverse psychology and NOT get one). I'm not buying it. But they are definitely getting way ahead of my own obsessions.

Spinning is fun ... but getting hooked on it before the Fruit Stripe socks are done and before the Olympics could very well lose me points in the competition.

Random Entry

The countdown to the Knitting Olympics has officially begun for me. They are now six days away (counting down in days seems to be less pressuring for me ... I think if I were to do hours and minutes, I'd go crazy ... you see, I'm trying to get a pair of socks done before I cast on for Vicki's poncho). And I'm making progress and don't want to jinx it.

That's right -- one Fruit Stripe sock down, one started and moving. This year, I am determined not to suffer from SSS -- second sock syndrome. In fact, I cast off yesterday morning before work and immediately began the provisional cast on for the second. There was NO DELAY. If I continue with the same progress as the first, I should have no problem getting it finished and proudly wearing them on Friday during the Opening Ceremonies.

Now, speaking of socks and the Olympics, I have to say that I'm absolutely in love with knitting socks right now (and with Opal sock yarn). I don't want to stop. Which means I'm in a bind ... because I think I want to follow the Yarn Harlot and keep a pair on the needles at all times. They are fun to knit, easy to knit, and very practical (I mean, who DOESN'T need new fun socks all the time??) Everyone who sees me putting one together is intrigued ... and I'm getting more than one look of longing from passersby. There are plenty of feet in my life to cover up. So I'll keep a pair on the sticks through the Olympics. I find them both soothing and extremely portable.

Now for something fun: a word cloud!