Knitting in the Dark

Pros and Cons

They are everywhere.  It seems as if you can rarely make a decision without there being some sort of drawback somewhere along the line.  It sometimes makes me miss the black and white of childhood. 

But for someone who has moved as much as I have during my life the pros must outweigh the cons.  Sure, I've had to leave behind some wonderful people but I have learned my true friends are with me in spirit if not always in the flesh.

But there are so many pros!  Challenging yourself.  I think I learn more about who I really am with every move.  I have the chance to reinvent myself every time so the things I hold onto become more important with every life change. 

I've had the chance to reconnect with an old friend from college.  Her spirit and love of life literally has me laughing 90% of the time we are together.  What a gift to find her again. And in the few short months I've been here she has already influenced my life so much.

I get to discover a whole new city.  After living in the country for 9 years (an experience I will always treasure) I am back in a proper city.  But not a huge city (Thank goodness, I don't know how those who live in New York can do it! Kudos!!) I'm looking forward to the summer when I can get out and about and really explore.

Also, did I mention that 2 good friends are moving up?  They are a couple and he got a job with OSHA and she will be moving up to be with him in August!!!!  I literally can not wait to explore with them!

But today I'm going to share with you another one of my pros.  I love to create my space (Go figure.)  This is the first time I am living by myself in over 10 years and I am enjoying it while it lasts (as I'm moving in with a new friend in the fall to save money)  I'd forgotton how to enjoy my own company and I've relearned that skill with a vengeance. 

I really wanted to put some art on my walls but with a limited budget I had to look outside of the purchasing option.  This is what I came up with.

 

 


For a few years I was working with Never Enough Yarn in Winchester taking pictures of their new stock to put up on Ravelry and on their website.  I have to admit I love taking pictures of yarn.  It stays still.  And it's pretty.  So I took some of those pictures and made them black and white.  Then I took the recolor tool and recolored one skein.  This is how I feel when I walk into a yarn shop.  After I get over being overwhelmed by all the pretties my brain tends to hone in on one skein that is really calling to me and everything else seems to fall away. 

 

So these three prints are now hanging over my swift and ball winder!!  Instant Art!

WIP

So one of the great things about getting organized is finding all those works in progress that for one reason or another were put aside.  I admit I am a fickle person.  Something about being the youngest and living alone without anyone to take care of besides myself means that I tend to do what I want whenever I want (within reason.  I'm not Trump!)  This method of living means that I am fairly content with few regrets but it also means I have a ton of works in progress.   But all this playing with yarn this weekend has inspired me to pick up some of them again.  

For instance, I really want to finish this for next winter.

It is the Min Ulla scarf by Elinor Brown.  I fell in love with this before it was published in Knitting Scarves from around the World.  A book that I find VERY inspiring. 

Also, my Adalida Cardigan is so close to being done.  Just the pockets to finish up.

And maybe a couple of loose ends to weave in. 

But today is for finishing up my organization and hopefully not getting distracted by the beckoning projects.  Wish  me luck!

All things change

About a million years ago I lived in Winchester VA and worked for a small theatre company that I loved.  I was surrounded by things that were familiar and comfortable.  But life has a way (or at least my life has a way) of thinking it's funny to throw all that up in the air just to see where everything lands.  And I have landed.  I have landed in Columbus, OH.

Now no worries.  My split with Wayside was amiable but sad.  No hard feelings had by anyone.  In the world of the arts things are unpredictable (and anyone in the arts knows that is a VAST understatement).  Just to give you an idea of how quickly things move here's how it played out. 

I took a 2 weeks of vacation to save the theatre some money.  I came back on a Tuesday and found out that in order to stay open they would have to go non-union.  On Wednesday I made plans with my family to move to California and live with my sister.  On Thursday I saw an ad online for a company where a friend of mine from college worked.  On Friday I had an interview and that evening I was hired.  1 week and 2 days later my parents flew in from California and we drove me (and a lot of my stuff) to Columbus.  And 2 days later I started my new job. 

So needless to say things have been a bit of a whirlwind. 

So now I work for a Ballet Company.  "Wow, Malia, have you ever worked in dance before?"  Well...nope.  Honestly, it took about 3 months before I felt like my legs were back under me, but now after 7 months of being here I can honestly say that I love it here.  It feels wonderful to be back in a city.  So many things to inspire me on a daily basis.  And right on top of that list are the insanely talented dancers with whom I now work. 

I'll admit that I've heard the rumors.  Let's just say that people in theatre are not always kind about dancers.  But if their sterotypes are true then I am very very lucky.  My dancers and kind, fun and have a work ethic that just blows me away on a daily basis.

                

 

So after all this change some things were neglected. (This blog of course being one of those things) Also, you can imagine that with a week and 2 days to pack my yarn organization pretty much went out the window.  I was lucky enough to find a one bedroom in Columbus (and by me I mean my amazing parents!) with a ton of storage.  So when I moved in it all just got thrown in a closet and whenever I wanted something I would wade in and try to find it.  Not the best system in the world, but it worked for a few months. 

But I have 3 glorious days off this week and I decided to go in and toss the stash as well as get myself organized again.  And silly me, I thought that while there might be one or two things missing from my stash page on Ravelry for the most part I was up to date.  Hah!  After going through this is the pile I was left with to photograph and get up.

So, um, yeah.  What I thought would be a one day process is now easily going to take the weekend.  But I always feel so much better when it's done.  Well, that and it keeps me from going to the yarn shop and buying more.  Nothing like pulling all your yarn out to remind yourself that you have more than enough.

 

 

Once upon a time I was a sporadic blogger. And then I dropped off the face of the earth. I went on tour with the Kennedy Center, I knit a ton of stuff and I returned to Virginia. I made a lot of friends, I didn't get to see my old ones nearly enough and I realized as little as I blogged before I missed it. So for the one hundredth time I resolved to blog again. And then another year went by. So here I am time 101 and I realize I really do miss checking in here. So cross fingers I'm going to resolve once again to try this out. And while right now I have 15 minutes til my production meeting (I sense part of the problem here) I will leave you with the last thing I finished. With details to come!

Fiber Festival!

I have a great job, but it is the kind of job that makes taking vacation whenever I want fairly impossible.  So festivals like Rhinebeck or Maryland Sheep and Wool aren’t really an option for me.   So every year I look forward to the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival.  It’s a small festival, but it has grown every year I’ve gone.  This year was no exception.  First off the loot:

From the top left corner: 4 skeins of a semi solid fingering weight from Serendipitous Ewe.  I think I fell in love with the name as much as the yarn and the color.  The colorway is Grey Matter.  8 ounces of roving from  Avalon Spring Farms, in a very pretty blue/green colorway called Lady of the Lake.  3 braids of roving from a new favorite.  River’s Edge Fiber Arts had an outside booth filled with gorgeous roving and batts.  I loved it so much I bought a braid on Saturday and then went back on Sunday to pick up two more.    The 2 big skeins on the bottom are from Woven Gems.  Every year I make a point to stop by here and say hi.  Beautiful charcoal grey alpaca just waiting to become a shawl.  The next two skeins are from Dragonfly Fibers (link is to their etsy store, but Loopy Ewe also carries them) the caked yarn is from Wolle’s Yarn Creations.  Last year I stopped by their booth, but didn’t buy anything.  And I regretted it.  So this year I made sure it was one of the first places I stopped.

All in all I am very happy with my purchases!! 

And God help me, there is a yarn shop opening 3 blocks away from where I work this week.

But for now I leave you with pictures of Festival!

Featherweight

I love complicated things.  People, shows, and knitting projects.  It feels more like an accomplishment to me if I have to work hard for it.  So finding a project to work upon at work can be a challenge.  It has to be simple enough that I don’t constantly have to look at it, but complicated enough to make me want to keep knitting at it.  So I love this new trend of cardigans in laceweight yarns.  I looked at both the Whisper and the Featherweight Cardigans before settling on the Featherweight.  Mainly because it is sized up to my size and I wasn’t in the mood for math when I was casting on.  So when my birthday came around in the beginning of July I went to Never Enough Yarn to search for something special.  I decided to treat myself to this.

This is a skein of Pagewood Willow Creek in Woodsy.  It was love at first sight.  But I’ve been bitten by the laceweight variegated bug before and always been disappointed.  (That brings the strangest picture into my head.  Like a daddy-long legs painted a million different colors)  I’m of the camp that believes that complicated stitches like lace and cables look best in solid or semi-solid colors, so that you can really see the details.  So while I loved this skein I really had no practical purpose for it.  So I bought it. Of course.

And after a few days of staring at it decided that it would be perfect for Featherweight.  And I figure, despite the fact that it is knit on size 6 needles, that it would take FOREVER.  Which is okay, because it would be perfect booth knitting.  After 3 weeks of knitting I am past the arm increases and working on the 10” of body.  (6 down 4 to go) 

Change

It is inevitable.  It is the only thing that stays the same. 

I have had the pleasure of working for Wayside Theatre for 8 seasons now.  They are more than just co-workers to me.  So the day I came in and told them I had been offered a job at the Kennedy Center as one of their touring Stage Managers, and they all gave me hugs and Congratulations, it meant a lot.  So next January I will be scratching some of that wanderlust that seems to always be with me. It will sure give me some more blog fodder.  That’s for sure.

For those of you who know me and have seen my yarn stash you will know that while this move is very exciting it does pose some interesting logistical problems.  The dreaded “D” word has come upon me.  Destash.  Destash any way I can figure.  I’ve sold almost $200 worth of books and yarn via Ravelry.  And I’ve been knitting from stash.  All those projects I’ve been planning are slowing working their way on and then off my needles.

The first time I saw the Edith Hat by Born to Knit I fell in love.  I loved that it looked like a carpet bag.  Delicate and sturdy all at the same time.  I loved it so much that I didn’t even change the colors from the original.  I scored some Classic Elite Fresco off Dizzy Sheep about a year ago and when I was home in California last May I spent a good portion of my time working on this.

I love how it halos just enough to fuzz up the fair-isle work and really blends it all together.

Like most of the knitting world I have also fallen in love with Jared Flood.  Well, with his designs at least.  He did a book for Classic Elite about a year ago.  Featured on the back cover are the gorgeous Grove Mittens.  I ordered the yarn it called for (Classic Elite Princess) and cast on.  It was a very quick knit, but not a mindless one.  It’s as much lace as cabled and come winter they may not be the warmest things in the world, but they are very pretty.

And now I’m about 1/2 done with the Swirly Gig hat from Knit Picks’s Independent Designer Program.

I love this program.  The idea of designers retaining the rights to their designs and getting paid per actual sale rings fair to me.  Also, it’s a great price for their customers.  $1.99 for a pdf download?  I just wished that Knit Picks took Paypal, but life is never perfect. 

Let’s face it  though.  I have a fairly large roving stash as well.  And as much yarn as I am getting through I also find myself creating even more yarn.  I spun up and navajo plied 8 ounces of Lorna’s Laces in Black Purl. (which I will have to show off tomorrow as I forgot to take a picture).  And now I have started on 100grams of Ashford Merino Silk that I picked up in Solvang, CA last spring.  I have so much roving that is older than this, but I just really wanted to feel the silk merino blend under my fingers.

 

But now it is back to the rest of my day.  Spinning, Knitting and theatre (with a meeting thrown in there for good measure)

My life is different

On occasion I think my life is boring.  I get into a routine and I stick to it.  It is what keeps me sane.  I have a tough time coming up with “Blog Fodder” and end up reverting to pictures of my handknits with little description. 

And then things like this happen.

And I realize my life is different than other people.

3/11

I have spent the day writing the blocking for an imaginary rabbit.  And a couple of real people as well.  How circular is life.  I remember being in college and painting the set for Harvey.  Mostly because I had a small crush on the set designer, but also because it was the first time I painted a set (also the last….hmmm.)  It feels strange for the shows that were popular when I was in college to be regaining popularity.  Also that my childhood movie-star crushes are dying of drug overdoses at the age of 38. 

In the world of knitting however things continue to progress.  I have so many “To Do” items on my list that it is becoming ridiculous.   A sweater ordered at Christmas (in my defense about a week before Christmas so I had a pretty good idea it wasn’t getting done before the holiday and informed my friend as much).  But now that it is warming up I’m having a hard time casting on.  That procrastination bug inside of me is saying “He won’t be able to wear it for months anyway.” 

Well, that and I have this sweater on the needles.

It’s a Plymouth Pattern that I have been unable to find on Ravelry so far.  It’s for Never Enough Yarn. (anyone who knows me, knows that I tend to stick to black, grey, or maroon when it comes to sweaters. I leave the colors for my socks, scarves, hats and mittens.)

For the nights of mindless knitting while I run Buddy Holly, I have my Plain Jane sock.

Regia Silk yarn and a plain as can be sock pattern.  I figure if I keep casting these on I may some day get through a fraction of the sock yarn I have managed to pile up.

I did actually manage to finish a pair as well.

Knit Picks Felici.  I LOVE this yarn.  And I love that they only run the colors until they run out and then revamp the entire line. 

I also have an unbloggable project on the needles.  But it is …well…unbloggable.

(I am the worst at coming up with blog titles.  Seriously.  On occasion I give up on posting just because I can’t come up with a good title.  So I’ve decided to throw caution to the wind and just put up the date if I can’t come up with anything else.  Don’t tell the blog police)

Oh and the yarn sales.  When it rains it pours.  Never Enough Yarn had their anniversary sale last week so I did some damage there. (pics to come)  And Sonny and Shear shut down (sob) and I managed to be online when they announced their 50% off sale (oh yeah 50% off) and I scored a bit there, and between the two I think I’ve still managed to come up in the plus column when it comes to yarn stash this month, despite the largish destash I’m doing over on Ravelry.

Until the next time I have 5 minutes and a few pics to share.

Second Round of Crazy

Two years ago I participated in something called the Ravelympics.  The basic idea is that you choose a project that is a challenge for you.  You cast on when the Olympic Torch is lit.  And you have to be done by the time the flame goes out.  For the Summer Olympics in Beijing I knit the Cable Swing Cardi by Clara Parkes.

    

 

It was a great sweater, but I don’t wear it very often.  I need to move the button so that it really fits me. 

 

 

 

So when the torch was lit on February 12th I cast on for a sweater I’ve always loved. 

Rogue by Jenna Wilson of Girl from Auntie.

I found this sweater back when I first learned to knit.  I took one look at it and knew that I wasn’t ready for it yet.  But I promised that someday I would knit it. 

So when it came time to pick my sweater for this year’s Ravelympics I ran across it again and knew it was time.  So I cast on using Briggs and Little Heritage.  It’s a great yarn.  It’s rustic and you can feel the lanolin in it.  And I’ve never knit with anything like it before.  It took about 2 skeins before my hands stopped complaining about the rough nature of this yarn and it actually started to feel almost soft.  And two days ago I sewed up my last seam and finished all the weaving in of ends.  I threw it in the tub.

 

squeezed out all the water, and layed it out to block.

I stuffed the hood with plastic bags so that it wouldn’t develop a weird line across the crown. 

And today I crossed the finished line with my new favorite sweater!