Knitting in the Dark

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!

Reboot

So I find myself joining the legions of Knitting Bloggers out there who are apologizing yet again for not writing more often.  It’s not for a lack of being online.  Anyone who knows me knows that I have Ravelry open pretty much whenever I’m sitting down. It’s not that I’m not knitting.

        

And it’s not that I wasn’t stuck in the house for a week due to a small snowstorm we got out here in Northern Virginia a month ago.

  

(And we were one of the lucky ones who didn’t lose power, so I REALLY have no excuse.)

So this slacker is getting back to it now.

November

For some people November means writing a novel.  For others it means knitting a whole sweater.  For me it means getting our Christmas show open. 

Every year at this time we start rehearsals for Wayside Theatre’s annual Christmas show.  This year we are doing  Miracle on 34th St.  And it is a musical.  And my roommate is the composer.  And my other housemate is the author.  So when I say it takes over my life I’m not exaggerating.  So as I finish up my run of Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure I’m finishing up my first week of rehearsal Miracle. 

And with 36 cast members it’s a little different from our other shows which typically have between 7-9 cast members.  And of the 36  ten are kids under the age of 14. 

On the other hand it is shows like this that allow some of my favorite people in the world to come back and play with us.  So you won’t find any complaining here. 

With one exception.

The knitting time has been a bit hampered. 

And yet somehow the yarn buying has been going just swimmingly.  How does that work?

A night at the Alamo

Went to see This is It last night.  Honestly I was never a huge fan of MJ.  I liked his music, but it was always just there, it didn’t move me one way or another.  Like many people I just saw him as an icon, but what I loved about the picture was that you get to see him work.  I am fortunate enough to love my work.  I think it is worthwhile.  So in return I also love to watch other people work.  This man was not just an amazing dancer, but a genius music director as well.  You often see him talking to the band and rearranging his music to “simmer” and you listen to it after he is done and all you can think is “He was right.”  It was definitely worthwhile.

On the other hand, if you live near or around Winchester,VA  you  need to try the new Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.  For those of you who have no idea what I’m speaking of it is the new movie theatre just off 81 at Exit 310, just outside of Kernstown.  Imagine a normal movie theatre with stadium seating.  Take out every other row. Now put a bar in front of all the seats that runs the length of the entire row. Where you took out the rows there is an aisle for the waiters to walk and take orders.   You have a menu, some light hitting your legs to see, you write out your order on provided paper, put it where the waiters can see it.  They come and take your order and about 15-20 min later you are watching a movie and eating a full meal at the same time.  The waiters and service have been excellent the 3 times I have been there.  It’s always spotless clean and the food is always good. 

And I am lucky enough to know the owner.  My friend Nick and his wife found these movie theatres in Texas and loved them so much that they opened it here. It is only the third one of its kind.  And honestly, Winchester is such a small town that it is unusual to get anything in the country this early into its conception.

In knitting news.  I went to a fiber festival.  It’s my favorite festival.  Okay, it’s the only fiber festival I’ve every been to, but I love it.  The Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival.  It is the 3rd year I’ve gone.  It always lands on a weekend I’m working (hah, I work every weekend.) so I only have about an hour and a half to run through and see everything I can.  Oh, and shop. I present my booty. (Minds out of the gutters kids)

Not too bad. 2 skeins  of sock yarn from Beyond Basic Knits, 4 ounces of Finn locks  and 8 ounces of Alpaca Silk (so soft and the most gorgeous silver grey)from Misty  Mountain and 8 ounces of superwash roving from Wild Hare fiber studio.

I also got this.

It’s a yarn bowl. I’ve always wanted one and there were a couple of potters there this year that were carrying them at reasonable prices. 

I do tend to buy mostly roving at these shows.  There are so many resources for yarn and I’ve been knitting long enough now to know what I want. But when it comes to roving I usually want to have it in my hands so I’ll know what it will feel like to draft.   But with so much roving coming in I knew I had to step up the spinning.  I started this 10 ounces of Lorna’s Laces wool top a few weeks ago. I bought it over the summer at The Loopy Ewe when they had a sale on it.  (It’s possible that 2o ounces of  2 other colorways also jumped into my cart…) So I spent a day finishing up 1/2 of it.  This is 5 ounces of Black Purl. (Honestly one of my favorite colorways at Lorna’s Laces.

I’m pretty happy with it.  I’m continuing to improve with consistent weight. There are still some thin spots, but I’m getting better. 

Today is an actual day off. Which is good because tomorrow I start rehearsals for our annual Christmas show.