Our New Babies

This is what we've been spending most of our time watching lately.

It's a repeat performance by this robin family, which first nested in the rafters of our back porch several years ago, then came back this summer and built a second-floor nest on top of the old one. For weeks we've been watching Mrs. Robin sit in near-frozen stillness, waiting and waiting. Then suddenly on Sunday -- just afterthe chicks hatched at Auden's preschool and the falcons hatched atop Kodak Tower -- two babies! Babies are in the air, and it's endlessly fascinating.

From the ground, we mostly see their beaks, ALWAYS open, poking out of the nest like pointy flower buds. For several days I hardly saw them at all and never saw the mother. Then just when I was sure they were all dead, they poked out again (and just when I was sure they had been abandoned and were going to die, the mother appeared too. Overdramatic, me? I believe my husband was prompted to take these beautiful pictures in part by the need to prove to me that the mother was in fact around.:)

There's another great picture on Will's website and I believe they will be in the paper tomorrow too. Our babies! *sniff*

The kids love watching them. So do I. The babies seem to spend absolutely every waking moment with their beaks wide open, hoping food will magically drop in. I watched one fall asleep today. It was waiting with its beak open, pointing straight up toward the sky, then its neck drooped, beak slowly closing, head plopping over the side of the nest.

They are scrawny and strange-looking, but already much bigger than when we first saw them. There is ruffling of wings and jostling for position, soon they will be taking their first flights and then ... gone. And we'll hope for a return visit later in the summer, and next year, if we're lucky. I can't explain how heart-warming and moving I find it to have them back – to have another mother bringing up her babies in this house. We have a new baby oak tree in the front yard too, growing roots and growing up, and it all just makes this feel like home.

The part of me that still means where-I-grew-up when I say "my house"? This is the other part.

Page Two ...

the rest of my birthday story.

This is what Will, AKA my husband, gave me for my birthday. A ballwinder and beautiful beautiful swift. The swift is made out of wood that reminds me of really nice children's toys, smooth and soft and fresh-smelling. I used it today, with the Socks that Rock that I bought with my birthday money. (And is gorgeous!!!) What a great invention! No tangles, no fuss. And best of all, the kids loved doing it, so I won't have to wind any wool anymore.

I stopped one of Rochester's many yarn stores on Friday to pick up a contrasting ball of Blue Sky Alpaca Organic cotton for the baby sweater, only to find that the store – not one I normally frequent – is going out of business. And everything was 50 percent off. I -- *sigh* -- came home with two more books (Nicky Epstein's Knitted Embellishments and No Sheep for You, which despite having a very unappealing (I think) cover, has some really nice patterns.) And a ball of Lana Grossa Mega Boots Stretch, or whatever it's called. Not too bad considering what I could have come away with. Auden was pushing the cashmere and alpaca. But yes, I have a shopping addiction. Particularly when it comes to yarn stores, and sales. A yarn store sale ... I am lost.

For some reason my preview function is not working, so I have to publish every time I want to see what this looks like. Too annoying; I'm just going to stop here. (Did I mention I love my ball winder and swift?:)

They're heeeeeeeeeeeere ...

What thoughtful parents I have. How did they know I wanted the Options needles? And a sock book too. It's like they read my mind. And they even threw in a ball of KnitPicks Shine for me to try. It's really too much! Except for the skein of Socks That Rock that might *cough* just maybe also be on its way here. Thank you thank you, parents.

In closing, a gratuitous princess shot. I wasn't the only one who enjoyed my birthday. (Or the cake.)

It's My Birthday

and I'll Cry If I Want To ... my Options needles haven't arrived. Not that I was really expecting them to be here by now, but it would be fun if they were. Also, the longer I go without them of course the clearer it is that I could manage on straight needles (these are Susan Bates from my mother's long ago foray into knitting) ... but the pattern calls for circulars! I have to do what it says, right? :) It will be nice to have this shawl spread out on circulars instead of jammed together as it is now. And I'm sure I will find many more uses for my new needles.

My birthday was very low-key but pleasant. I took Eli out to buy an expensive new bike and a new mitt. Auden gave me a very sweet little pin she made at pre-school, and Will brought me flowers and chocolate cake. Yum. My lovely sisters-in-law gave me a cover-up and sandals for our beach vacation this summer we were treated to delicious gourmet leftovers for dinner by No. 1 (chronologically – I could NEVER rank my sisters-in-law!) Sister-in-Law.

And now, having done almost nothing all day, I am too tired to do anything but sit and knit. And it's my birthday, so I'm gonna.

The Next Big Thing

My new project: a Cozy shawl for my Great-Aunt Fran in Cascade 220 Superwash.

Fran has always been one of the most vibrant and caring people I know. She and my Great-Uncle Matt, who died not long before Will and I married, hold a very special place in the hearts of everyone in their extended clan. Fran, who I believe is 90-something, remains lovely and engaged and has given me (and my children) many many thoughtful gifts over the almost 43 years we have been on this planet together. It's about time I returned the favor!

I probably should not have been surprised (but I was) that the Superwash gauge changed not one bit when washed*, unlike its non-Superwash sibling, the regular Cascade 220. Maybe that's why they call it Superwash. *lightbulb*

It's very soft and I think it will make a nice warm wrap. Of course, it is summer and Fran lives in California ... but air-conditioning can be chilly and wool just seemed like the way to go.

When I bought the wool Monday I was pleased that for once I did not need to purchase new needles for a project. But as soon as I started knitting last night I realized that the regular Addis were not going to work – way too dull – and that I was close to insane using them for just four rows. So I ordered not just new needles but the whole Options set from Knitpicks. (Because that will save me money in the long run, right?) It was a BIRTHDAY present. My parents sent me BIRTHDAY money, and I didn't even spend half of it, even if a sock book did sneak itself into my shopping cart. And I've been eyeing interchangeable needles for a while. Now I just want them to get here!


*Yes, I washed my gauge swatch, for the third project in a row! It's the new me.

Two Socks Make a Pair

Finished, just in time for warm weather. Apparently a spring tradition on my part. :) I still love love love them. They're beautiful and the yarn is beautiful. I made the cast-on looser this time (I think I went up TWO needle sizes, though I learned from Sally Melville that that doesn't make any difference with the long-tail cast-on; it's all about how tight you pull the yarn.) It may have helped to do the first two rows on a much larger needle, but apparently I neglected to write down exactly what I did. That was short-sighted, since I definitely would make these socks again. Oh well.

My only significant modification, other than not doing the complicated cast-on that I couldn't figure out, was not breaking the yarn when I got to the heel. I can't figure out what the difference would have been if I had done that (I'm sure there's a clever reason -- I just don't know what it is) -- they seem fine this way.

Now I am desperately in need of a new project ... or maybe I should get back to work on the Striped Sweater. *Sigh*

My Sally Melville Weekend

Quick post, because I'm still recovering from a weekend spent knitting (and the weekend before that away). I decided the good thing about the house being a disaster after me being AWOL is that at least it proves I do something around here.

I had a fantastic knitting weekend with Sally Melville -- 11 hours of workshops! She was really great -- I feel like I learned so much. (And I was completely wiped out at the end -- it's been a long time since I've concentrated that hard for that long.)

I took: Basic Maneuvers; Borders and Buttonholes; Basic Pattern Drafting; and Emergency Measures. I don't think I can list everything I learned -- there was a lot! Some cast-ons, some dandy tricks, some design principles, how to cut a hole in my knitting, the Portugese around-the-neck purl ... and much much more. I also learned that I knit the same way as she does -- with the ergonomically preferred "Pencil Hold" :) That left me feeling smug.

It was really quite awesome. And after seeing her designs up close and personal I liked them so much better than I did in the books; I might need to make some!

The Sort-of-Ugly Sweater

My husband says I shouldn't call it that, even in private, or it will rub off on my son, who so far says he likes it. Loves it, in fact. Even loves the colors, he says. (Have I mentioned he's colorblind?) I am not sure about the apricot stripes. Or about the stripe pattern, which I am making up as I go along. Not sure about any of it, really.

I got the yarn (Debbie Bliss wool/cotton - very nice!) on super-duper sale with the intention of making a different, all brown sweater with a little orange peeking out from inside the collar. But then time went by and my son got bigger, and I wasn't sure I had enough brown. Enter stripes! I think at first I was just going to do one stripe ... I'm not sure how or why it morphed into what you see. Perhaps I've blocked it out. Also, I decided I couldn't bear to knit it in pieces, so I am doing it in the round, and I think I am NOT doing the collar from the pattern (there is a zipper, and I fear zippers), which pretty much means I am completely winging it at this point. We'll see!

To your right is the yarn I won (bought) at the Knitter's Guild annual auction Monday night. Three skeins of Blue Sky Organic Cotton in a naturally grown Sage color. So soft! The plan is to knit something for Eli's cello teacher's impending baby. Now I just need to figure out what.

And, most importantly, I need to figure out my knitting for my SOLO plane trip to California on Saturday. Just under three days visiting my parents. I may be more excited about being alone on the plane than anything else. Don't want to waste it!

Oh, and Kathy says it's my 1-year Blogiversary. I'm too lazy to check, but I think she's always right. Cake for everyone!

Stash for Sale: Lana Grossa Royal Tweed

Sorry to bore everyone/anyone with this. I need to learn how to collapse boring posts. I am selling 1.75-plus skeins of Cascade 220 (Silver Spruce Heather for $9, including shipping,(SOLD - Thank yoU!) and five skeins (500m) of Lana Grossa Royal Tweed (Dusky/Royal Blue) for $25, plus shipping.

Talia's Rainbow Poncho

I knitted this a few years ago for Auden, who promptly declared it "too fratchy" and refused to wear it. Fortunately she has an older but tiny cousin, Talia, who is less fussy and appreciates the joy of a rainbow-colored, twirly handknit! I sent it to her back when I first knit it, but this is the first time I've gotten a picture.

And so they're not left out, here is my niece Kira -- Talia's big sister -- playing violin with my brother Harry on the piano. They played a trio with Eli on cello and it made me cry. My family! All making music together! Kira's playing is so beautiful that it made me cry too. But I may be a wee bit sentimental. :)

Anyway, here are the poncho stats:

Pattern: Children's Poncho, Knitting Pure & Simple, size 2-4
Yarn: Hmm, I thought I had the label, but can't find it now. Self-striping, anyway, though I had to fiddle with it to get more pink. Worsted weight.
That's all I've got.


p.s. Does anyone know how to hide the labels at the end of each post?

More Hoodie Pictures

I am very, very happy with this (did I say that already? Yes I did.) It feels good, it's comfortable, it's warm, I think it's beautiful. I really enjoyed knitting it, and I'd make the pattern again, if I were the kind of person who knitted the same pattern twice, which I'm not sure I am.

I don't entirely love the way I look in it, especially buttoned, especially in pictures. Because a) I think I need to lose weight and b) it is slightly too chunky/boxy to be the MOST flattering thing I've ever worn. You may not be able to tell that from the pictures, which are carefully edited. And I don't think I will ever, ever allow anyone to see me with the hood up, unless the alternative is severe frostbite and/or death.

But that said, I do love it! I have been wearing it almost non-stop since I finished it. And I am no longer intimidated by the concept of making myself a sweater. So yay!

And now, back to getting ready for the houseguests ...

CPH is done, done done!

Happiness is finishing your Central Park Hoodie before your houseguests arrive. I actually finished a few days ago, but I wanted to block it before I sewed on the buttons. I didn't do a very good job blotting out the water, and it took forever to dry.

I'm very happy with it. I don't think you can tell that the fronts are different lengths! The only thing I don't love is the slight pulling between the buttons when it's buttoned ... but I think that has to do with my personal circumference. I'm not sure. But I wouldn't want it any bigger. It's a bit wide for me at the shoulder, otherwise I love the way it fits. If I made it again, I would shorten the sleeves so I could wear them without rolling up the cuffs -- I just think it would be a nicer line. This way I have built-in fingerless mitts, though.



Pattern: Central Park Hoodie, Knitscene, fall 2006
Yarn: Cascade 220, Silver Spruce Heather (9322), less than 7 skeins. (I followed the directions for the largest size, but at a tighter gauge, so my sweater came out closer to the 44" size as planned.)
Needles: US 7 and 9 circulars. (Though when I measured the Inox 7s I used for the ribbing, I discovered that one side was closer to a 6, and the other to a 6.5. The Addi circulars I used for the button band were a true 7.)
Modifications: I short-rowed the shoulders and bound off the front and back together, with mixed success. I kitchenered the hood, but still did the button band in two pieces and seamed it at the top. (If I did this again, I might do the button band all in one piece, but given that it was my first button band, I'm glad I did it this way so I could see what I was doing.) I suppose making the fronts two different lengths counts as a modification too. :)
I also got a tighter gauge than the pattern calls for, so I knit one size up. That worked out, though it's a little broad across my shoulders.

I have more pictures to post when I get time -- I made poor Will do a photo shoot in the lovely snow squall we had this morning! -- and more (scintillating) thoughts on making this -- but I've got to take Eli back to the orthodontist to glue back on the bracket that he got yesterday. Of course the orthodontist is only out in the boonies today.

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

The good: my buttons. Aren't they beautiful? Now I just need to figure out how to do buttonholes. Sorry the picture's not sharper; it's a gray day and I'm a camera nincompoop.

I went to the Village Yarn Store with Auden (who is now at the age where she is happy to sit looking at books at the front of the store while I shop) and was immediately overwhelmed all their wonderful choices. But as there was a group of knitters there ready and willing to help, I laid out my sweater so we could choose.

Hmmm. Strange. Note the front and back armholes on the left side of the picture do. not. line up.

Must have been the way I blocked it, right? Hadn't I just seconds earlier blithely (and yet with a hint of the pride that we all know what THAT goeth before) explained how I had meticulously and compulsively counted all my rows, instead of just measuring?

Yes. Well. Apparently I would have been better off with a little more measuring. Here's where I need one of those Joe Madden Monday Night Football markers that the cool bloggers have, but note the number of cables on the far left, versus the number on the far right:

Nope, not the same. It's a full cable short. And no amount of counting or recounting (or blocking) could make them the same.

This is how big the difference in length is:


(The other side is just fine, thank you very much.)

This is a whopper of a mistake. And it is so far back, so deep down, that fixing it would require ripping out almost half of the sweater. Thank God I was at the yarn store when this was discovered, or I might have impaled myself on my knitting needles.

But I was at the yarn store, and Yarn Store Lady #1 said she would not rip it all out, but she thought I could knit a few rows at the armhole to bring it up to match the other. Yarn Store Lady #2, to whom Yarn Store Lady #1 deferred, was even more reassuring: she says I can just make the front and back match when I seam them up, then make it look right in blocking.

Unbelievable, really. I was so obsessed with counting rows that I must have forgotten to measure the damn thing. (And didn't notice the difference when I picked up my button band stitches, either.) Well, I guess it's a learning experience. I may go over to the "knit both fronts/sleeves/socks/etc. at once" camp in future.

I am putting my faith in Yarn Store Lady #2. And praying that it won't look terrible.

Heed my careless ways, fellow knitters!

Back to buttonholes ...

One Button Band and a Sunny Day

A beautiful sunny day ... I couldn't resist a picture. Just one button band (with buttonholes) and seaming left to go. I'm cruising! I washed, I blocked, I kitchenered the hood (how I love the kitchenered hood) – I've even sewn all my ends in. Now I just need buttons. Maybe tomorrow I can lure the children to the Village Yarn Shop to find me some buttons.

This is my first button band, so of course I learned some things as I went along. Like, of course you want to start and end picking up stitches at the very very tippy ends, 'cause you don't want your button band shorter than your sweater. And that picking up 3 stitches every 4 rows thing -- that would have been a good thing to have looked up before starting the button band. And, maybe I don't need to be a slave to the stitch number in the pattern, especially if I lengthened the body of the sweater.

But actually I think it looks pretty good. I'm so excited about finishing this sweater!

Just in time for spring. :)

Kathy I'm thinking of you ...

Lots More Progress

I'm getting somewhere -- everything's done except the top of the second sleeve, which I'll finish tonight. Now I need to make a hood decision: I think I want to kitchener instead of seaming it, but the question is whether that means I need to do the ribbing/button band all in one piece or whether I could do the two separate pieces, THEN kitchener the hood and seam the ribbing at the top of the hood. Would that look weird? I don't know why I am so intimidated by doing the ribbing/button band all in one piece. It just looks loooooooong.

Thanks to everyone who was so nice about my sock; I got into a rut and didn't keep up with answering. I wish Blogger had an option for leaving your email address; that would facilitate conversation! I have been hanging out with some friends on LiveJournal, and it is so much more conversational over there. Oh well!

It's cold and snowy outside, good for knitting. When it warmed up into the 60s last week I was afraid it would be next year before I wore my hoodie. I'd better get going!

Embossed Leaf #1

I know I should probably wait until I have a PAIR of socks to show this, but who knows when I will get to the other one. And I love this one so much! I love the yarn – love love LOVE it and its tiny gorgeous shimmery variations – and I love the practically perfect pattern. The star toe is very very comfortable. I'd still like to make the cast on a little stretchier on the second one – should I just go up another needle size?

Pattern: Embossed Leaves Socks, IK Winter 2005
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Nearly Solid, Blackberry. Less than 1 skein per sock.
Needles: Susan Bates #2 dpns (#3 for the cast on and first two rows)
Modifications: I didn't do the called for cast on, because I couldn't figure it out. I was also disturbed to read here (scroll down to the March 10 post) that it isn't the cast on actually used by the sock designer. And I kitchenered the toe, because just pulling the stitches together, drawstring-style, as the pattern called for, just seemed wrong.

Progress

Reflected snow light may not be ideal for pictures. But it's all we're getting today, our fourth snow day in three weeks. It's not a blizzard, but it's been coming down steadily all night and morning, and we're supposed to get more than a foot. Already I couldn't figure out where to put the snow I was shoveling from the driveway; I have no idea how those poor people in northern New York are managing with 11 feet and more coming.

Anyway, the hoodie! I am up to the armholes. It is going faster than I expected – the pattern is easier (and, I have to admit, more boring) than I thought. There is the one row of cable twist every 10 rows, and all the rest are the same. But as a result it makes for excellent tv knitting.

Also it is appears it may be going to be a bit large! Well, I knew that might happen. It's currently at least 20" wide, and the swatch grew widthwise (and shrunk lengthwise) when I washed it ... I might wash the back before I start the front to make sure it is not going to reach disastrous proportions!

Off to an impromptu snow day/Valentine's Day party at the neighbor's ...

edited to add:

I meant to mention: this is only slightly more than one skein of Cascade 220. It is amazing how much you can knit with one skein, especially after you've been using itty bitty balls of Debbie Bliss. I'm very psyched about the shortage of ends to weave in!

Pretty.

That's the sock yarn I bought yesterday on sale. I've been coveting Cherry Tree Hill for a while now. And it's just too pretty to put away in a box without a picture first.

There. Now that I've lured you here with pretty candy yarn, let me bore you with some obsessiveness. And possibly the most boring blog pictures ever:

I re-did my Central Park Hoodie ribbing in 6, because on 7s it just didn't seem ribby enough to me. It seemed a little bit floppy, like it was already stretched out. And I like the way it looks on 6s, just now I'm all paranoid that it's going to pull in too much and ruin the look of the sweater. My body will stop it from pulling in very far, though, right? You probably can't even tell the difference in this picture. Ribbing on 7s is on top, 6s on the bottom. The new ribbing is being stretched out by the curve of the pillow it's on, otherwise it would boing quite far in. But that's not very much force, is it.

I detest insignificant decisions like this! I just need some reassurance that it IS insignificant, and that I can go ahead. Below is a slightly closer up look at how far I've gotten. (I would be farther but, you know, I did the ribbing twice ...) Cables amaze me – how just one row affects what all the other ones do. It looks so much trickier than it is.


edited to add: Actually I changed my mind AGAIN and am going to go with the 7s. Just so I could knit the whole thing twice. Anyway, I'm decided, I'm feeling good about it, and I'm going ahead with it!

Swatched and Ready to Go

So I think I am in the process of switching to Google Blogger, or whatever it's called. I say I think because I thought I had, and yet I just signed in on my old account. Among the complications I had making this switch was the fact that I could not remember my gmail address, let alone my password. Wouldn't you think I would have a record of it somewhere? I cannot find it. Hopefully my husband does.

Anyway, I switched because I am joining the Central Park Hoodie Knit-a-Long, which may or may not require a Google account. And because all the cool kids are doing it. However, since I know it will draw all my many many readers here with promises of new posts, I thought I'd better give you one.

The Central Park Hoodie, ready to go! And it only took three years of yarn acquisition from multiple yarn stores in multiple states (and multiple dye lots, but we won't mention that) and – most importantly – multiples of multiples of emails from MK Kathy figuring out the numbers. We are not blaming her if it doesn't fit. We would NEVER. :)

We are excited, because we have never made a sweater for ourself, precious! Oh wait. We thought we were channeling the Queen, because we just saw that movie, and now we seem to be channeling Gollum instead. Perhaps we need to end this post, and do us some laundry.

We hope we will have progress to report soon!


p.s. There are two different dye lots in this picture, but I am hoping you can't spot them.

All the leaves are purple ...

and the sky is gray.

This is the beginnings of an Embossed Leaves sock, knit on the train to NYC this weekend. The leaves pattern is such fun to knit! I couldn't figure out the tubular cast-on, despite the best efforts of my sister-in-law, aka Master Knitter Kathy. So I used a regular long-tail cast-on and went up to size 3 needles after it looked tiny on 2s. It is still pretty small ... enough that I took it off the needles on the train to try it on. It's going to be a tight fit over the heel, but it went over so I decided not to rip it out. I'd like to make it bigger on the second sock, though. (Suggestions?)

My train-knitting experience did give me one thing to add to my list of must-haves for the travel knitting bag: scrap yarn in a contrasting color. All I had to put the stitches on when I wanted to try it on was the sock yarn itself, and it was not fun getting them back on the needles. But you probably already knew that.

Coming back on the train I decided to try to read the Aeneid (the new translation that's getting rave reviews in Aeneid circles!) instead of knitting ... I am still only partway into the introduction, so we'll see how that goes!

(And the sky really is gray. It has snowed pretty much every day since mid-January, when our up-til-then snowfree weather changed. The snow's up past our knees and the children are happy, at least ...)