Jumping the Shark?

My sister's birthday is coming up. Really soon. For several weeks I contemplated a beret using yarn I'd shown her last time she was here. It's Silky Merino from Malabrigo in Bosques (470). She seemed to like it, and it's the the same brand used to make my Fashionable Beret earlier this summer.

But lately I've begun tiring of these variegated yarns. And I am nutty about stripes so I'm always looking for ways to incorporate them into my knitting. I figured I could break up the variegated look with a stripe. I also really love the 2 row stripe concept. In the slightly over two years I've been knitting, I'd say stripes are a recurring theme. Here's some evidence.

One of my earliest projects, a hat I still wear. It's striped with Angora to make it Girly but still Sporty. This may be when the stripe bug bit me. These stripes were an impulse. I can still remember knitting this hat on the subway one day and the instinct to add stripes was so overwhelming that I switched trains and got me to a yarn shop fast - I picked up the angora in the nick of time and got to work. The main yarn is Rowan Cashsoft DK, and I love it!

This little ensemble is such a classic it was irresistable. And boy, this yarn is fantastic to knit up. It's Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, and I am a huge fan. I've since learned it pills pretty fast upon wearing, but since this was given away, I'll never know!

Striped socks, always a winner. Baby socks using more of the Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. There's that two row stripe again!

And of course, we have the now ubiquitous Noro 2 row striped scarves popularized by our own Brooklyn Tweed, Jared Flood. Here we have Hers on top and His below. These got lots of wear last winter. And I will make more of them, they are terrific gifts.

Anyway, you get the picture. You can see I am a manic stripe maker. I think about how to incorporate stripes into may work as often as possible. So it was a bit of a disappointment that for whatever reason, I could not make the stripe concept work on this beret for my sister. What I pictured in my mind just wasn't doing it for me upon execution. Maybe the yellow was the wrong choice. I don't know. I do know I futzed around with this for several evenings. In addition to not being thrilled with the stripe effect, I was also having a really tough time getting this thing to knit up to gauge, it was either way too big or way too small. The sample here shows the comparison in size to the Portia Beret I made earlier this summer. That one is perfect. It's the same yarn as the variegated I'm using now, and I counted off every row to ensure I was knitting the exact number of rows, even though I am not knitting a lace pattern. It should have worked. But it didn't. The size, the look, everything was simply wrong.

The clock is ticking on this gift so I abandoned it for another time. And instead I am knitting up a surprise (can't show ya till it's received, sorry).

I don't know if I have "jumped the shark" on two row stripes, but the thought has occurred to me that I may have played this one out for now. I have lots of projects lined up in my Queue, and inevitably something pulls me in a different direction and I end up working on a completely unexpected project. And so even though I think about stripes constantly, I am gravitating to other things. Like knitting with solid colors, and doing projects that involve intricate stitch work (lace!?) rather than stripey stuff. It's an evolution and it may take a few months for this to play out. In the meantime I have a few other projects I need to finish off, and then it starts all over again! You will have to keep coming back for visits to see what transpires.

Flow Seduction

Design: Flow Top by Norah Gaughan
Yarn: Berroco Seduce;, Verdigris color
Needles: Size 7 and Size 6 for trim
Started: 7/25/08
Finished: 8/24/08

A few weeks ago when updating you all on my works in progress I mentioned the Flow Tank Top. I finally finished it Sunday morning. This one worked out quite nicely thankyouverymuch.

First, the yarn. Pure seduction. Well named, this stuff. It's also a bit deceptive. In the skein it doesn't look like much. But once you get going with it, you start to see how nice the fabric is. It's drapey. It has these variations in the texture and color that are intriguing. It catches the light. This stuff is pure seduction!

Then there's the pattern. When you have yarn this nice, a simple, minimalist design is perfect. And leave it to Norah (you really ROCK, Norah!) Gaughan to come up with a lovely, simple little tank top that shows the yarn to perfection. This is the type of minimal pattern that reminds me of Calvin Klein or Eileen Fisher.

Then there's the pattern name. Flow. Which is truth in advertising. It flows. It drapes. It moves.

I am happy with the outcome.

Knitting to Convert the Skeptic

Project: Simple Man Socks - basic stockinette pattern
Yarn: Alpaca Sox by Classic Elite
Needle: size 1 dpns
Started: 7/14/2008
Finsished: 8/19/2008

Well! These socks are finally done. You may have read an earlier post here about the size problem. How I knit the first sock really big because I used size 2 needles (which is what the manufacturer called for). But a little research on Ravelry revealed some concerns about the drapey quality of this yarn and its tendency to felt. Several Ravelers recommended knitting at a tighter gauge. So I ended up taking that advice, which of course meant having to re-knit the first sock.

I wasn't thrilled. Sock knitting is my subway diversion. Each sock takes roughly one week's worth of commuting, especially in an easy stockinette version like this. Well, by reknitting I was into week 3 and then week 4 (thank you, MTA, your trains are more crowded than ever!) So this project dragged on far longer than I wanted.

But in the end, they are great. They fit and they will be worn. This is very warm and lightweight yarn -- the alpaca makes it just a bit hairy, which I like. I reckon they will be worn on the coldest days. Do we ever get really cold days anymore? Seems like they come fewer and fewer with every passing year.

We used our stoop for the photo shoot on Saturday morning. That stoop sure gets lots of use as the backdrop to our lives! It was a tremendous, glorious morning. Perfect for some sock modeling.

Knitters already know that handknit socks are truly one of life's greatest pleasures. There is simply nothing better than that snug wooly feeling wrapped around one's foot. I extolled on these virtues for weeks but DH didn't believe me. He thought I was just being a nutty knitter. Till he tried these on. Now I think he's a convert. He may ask for all his socks to be hand knit. Umm...not gonna happen. But a few choice selections won't hurt.

I just hope this princely feeling doesn't go to his head.

Tree Tops

I have tree tops. Taken from a moving boat. The trees look jittery.

]

Good for viewing, or painting on sides of barns.

I promise there will be knitting content soon. Really!

Mi Manga

I was surfing the Internets at the end of my work day, as usual, and found a Manga making site. So I played around a bit. This is what I gotz.

You can make your own Manga by going here: http://www.faceyourmanga.com/welcome.htm

Dark Days Ahead

Today my horoscope read, "Pace yourself, Capricorn. It's about time you got some balance in the day-to-day routine. The truth is, no matter what age you are, you aren't getting any younger. So living in the here and now is all you have. That doesn't mean you don't plan for the future. But a balance of both is what successful living is all about".

Staying in the here and now is really tough. We all know that. Knowing that darker days are coming means I must practice this with all my available strength. It will make the passage easier. It is the "probable, almost certain outcome" that has me terrified and deeply saddened.

One day I will speak of chronic illness and its debilitating effects. I'm going to need help to get through this.

Improvements

Did you notice the improvement? I figured out how to make the photographs a bit larger in this blog. Doh!! It's a trial and error process for me, and I am glad I found this little trick. I doubt I will go back and edit the earlier posts to set up the photos in the new format. I hope you won't mind...I am also trying to figure out my little camera so I can get better pictures. Thanks for your patience as I work all this stuff out.

Rome wasn't built in a day either. Speaking of Rome, I am listening to a book that's been out there awhile, it's everywhere, even Costco. As usual, I am a little late to the party, but Sue suggested I check it out so as soon as I returned from the little getaway I pulled it down from Audible.com.

You may have heard of it - Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Anyway, it's quite timely for me as I go about transforming my own life which is what the writer did. I listened to the entire first section today, about her time in Italy - Rome mostly. Pure pleasure.

Cabin Weekend

Another year, another lovely weekend 220 miles from home. It takes forever to get there and back, but OH. HOW. NICE.

The weather was on and off, but it made for some good cloud action.

Sue planted a bunch of vegetables on the deck using a unique self-watering system.
Her Pumpkin sprouted beautiful blossoms.

The tomatoes plants took off and were reaching high as an elephant's eye level. Looks like some of the fruit will ripen over this coming week. Everyone was really excited to see such progress on the veggies.

Despite the crazy weather, it was relaxing. We made a good attempt to check out a wonderful African Violet nursery nearby, but he was closed. Now I ask you. If the catalog says "open on Sundays in the Summer"you would interpret that to be Sunday between Memorial Day and Labor Day, right? Well, when we got to the place, the Nursery definition of Sunday summer hours narrowed down to May and June. A bit disappointing.

I did get some knitting in, progress on the raglan sweater mostly. I'll get around to posting shots this week. In the meantime I just want to savor the time away from home a few minutes longer.

Brownstone Basset

Please forgive the indulgence, but my Rudy is one handsome little man and I couldn't resist.

About four or five years ago I spent an entire summer chipping off the old paint from these cast iron balusters. It was hot, dirty, painstaking work. I used a ball peen hammer, a chisel and then wire disks on my drill to sand down the surface.

Then I hired a cast iron restoration company to remove the hand railings along with the entire fence along the sidewalk. They restored these pieces in their shop and returned everything, all brand spanking beautiful.

I would have done the balusters along the front fence, but I didn't relish the idea of sitting on the sidewalk while people stepped over me on their way down the street. Somehow that didn't appeal to me!

The job cost a small fortune to send out. But Rafael, the Cast Iron guy told me I saved about $5K by doing part of the work myself. Worth it.

TWISTED

I was just surfing around (yea, I know. I should be hard at work but it's Friday afternoon and I'm burnt!). And lo, I happened on a wonderful - I mean REALLY WONDERFUL new online magazine called Twist Collective. I found it by linking through Hello Yarn's blog - she's one of the ingenious designers contributing to the collection. I have to say. WOW. All of the designs are gorgeous. All of them are flattering, all of them are interesting to knit. I think my upcoming project list just grew by a factor of 10.

It's gonna be hard to stick to the current projects with these new ones lurking in my Ravelry queue.

Well. Back to the salt mine for another hour.

Top Down Raglan

I mentioned a few days ago I started a Top Down Raglan Sweater for my Mom. Here is the Yoke section, all 300 stitches crammed onto the longest Size 8 needle in my collection.

I wanted to find a longer cable and stopped by to see Maxcine. She didn't have anything longer than the one I already had. She said, "suck it up." I went home and that's just what I did.

I've moved onto the first sleeve. Flying off the needles. Alot of stockinette stitch these days, and I'm finding it really relaxing.

And my stitches are getting incredibly even. After two years I think I've found exactly the right tension in my work. Very satisfying.

The yarn is Cascade 220, Lake Chelan Heather #9451. This is one of those workhorse yarns that comes in a zillion colors and comes in handy for just about any project on the planet. I bought of ton of this stuff in about 5 colors last year during a blowout Webs sale.

I have a few ideas about how I will finish this with some interesting edges on sleeves, hem and button bands. Since this is a cardigan, I have button bands - that means I get to shop for cool buttons to jazz it up a bit.

Not the Same Socks

sock mismatch - overall
Originally uploaded by knithound brooklyn

When I listed my works in progress yesterday you may have noted my blip about the socks. Plain ol' socks. And that I had a bit of a fit problem. Well, I had the opportunity to photograph the project this morning.

I envisioned a simple pair of socks because these are destined to be worn by a man with straightforward tastes. And the yarn was stripy, no need for any fiddle faddle here.

These are socks knit in Classic Elite Alpaca Sox. It's luscious yarn, made of 60% Merino / 20% Alpaca / 20% Nylon. The suggested gauge is 8 stitches per inch on Size 2 needles. I cast on 76 stitches and got exact gauge for the first sock.

But can you see the difference? The entire time I was knitting, the little voice in my head was saying "these are too big!!" But the fiendish knitting hands could not stop and at one point there was actually a mid-knit fitting. Seemed okay, but didn't at the same time. It definitely nagged at me the entire time I knit sock #1.

When I finished it boy, was it huge. We tried it and and well, while it did "fit", it was not "snug". It seemed like it would slide around. But they stayed up, they didn't sag. I went to bed that night with a nagging feeling. It wasn't perfect.

So back to Ravelry for a bit more research. I learned other knitters lamented not knitting this yarn at a tighter than called for gauge. They found that the yarn felted just through friction and wear. Hmmm.

sock mismatch - foot
Originally uploaded by knithound brooklyn

It made me realize I could go down a needle size and not change anything else I'd have a snugger fitting sock -- one that might not felt as quickly.

You can really see the difference here, can't you? This exercise really taught me the needle/yarn/gauge lesson. Not that I didn't know it already, but it's nice when you have a tangible object for comparison.

The first sock is 8 stitches per inch. The second is about 9.5 to 10 stitches per inch. What a difference!

It fits much better, it will be more pleasing and hopefully there will be few excuses why they are not worn!

sock mismatch - cuff
Originally uploaded by knithound brooklyn

Here, I experimented. If I was going to have to reknit the first sock anyway, why not see what it looks like when I have a 2x2 rib vs a 1x1 rib?!

I haven't decided completely, but I might actually prefer the look of the 2x2 cuff. What do you guys think? Which do you prefer?

Now that I've documented this effort, I will rrrrrrip out sock #1 for a redo.

What was supposed to be a simple, fast project has just become a much longer one. I wanted to move on but instead face another week of subway sock knitting. Oh well, there are worse things...

Torment Ended

Even back then, as small children playing, she was tormented by herself. Unsure, insecure, always afraid of being misunderstood. Filled with doubt, unhappy. An outcast in her family. She manifested her psychic pain in countless maladies. In and out of the hospital, a constant plea for attention, repair, correcting some terrible wrong. Her father had no patience for her insecurity. He would shout at her to "cut it out, Marion!" She couldn't, she didn't know how.

She sought a career in the medical world. Seeking solace through caregivers. But they gave her no peace. They ripped her apart, wrecked her body, inflicted pain. Butchers. Each cut of their knife another step toward endless decline. Still she remained loyal to their profession, despite the insult to her body and soul.

At one point, she tried to reach out to her family, to explain herself. Her attempts were met with derision, disgust. She withdrew. More neurosis - trying to backtrack on the attempt. Reverse the course. It was confusing to her, confusing to friends and family. And her personal torment continued unabated.

In 2001 her Mother died. A tragic turn for this daughter, so fragile and unsure. She could not consider the option of living without Mother. Completely distraught, she could just not let go. For months, she was mired in depression and angst. Family tried to coax her into the sunshine. But she preferred to replay recordings of her Mother's voice on her answering machine. Her last connection, her consolation for a lost and desperate soul.
It just could not be.

And then today, such tragic news, she took her life. She simply could not go on. A shock to all, but upon reflection, maybe not so shocking after all. Her torment is over, she is finally once and for all at peace. Her pain is over. The family's pain continues. So many unanswered questions.

Upon hearing the news this morning, I was immediately whisked back to those days we all played together in more innocent times. Cousins all close in age, spending countless hours at the Briarcliff pool, or watching Bonanza in the family room. Playing in the basement, drawing pictures on giant sheets of newsprint. And always, little Marion was unhappy, insecure, miserable, fearful, tentative, misunderstood, confused, tormented. Poor Marion, she never fit into this world.

Rest in peace, Marion.

Knitter's update - no pictures

I wanted to show you some shots of finished stuff, but nothing is finished! And the variable light this past weekend conspired against my feeble photo efforts.

I have four projects on the needles and have to fight hard the urge to cast on a few more. I am bursting with knitting energy - the starting kind, not the finishing kind.

So. Here's a quick inventory of things I am working on, in various stages of completion:

1. Flutter Sleeve Cardigan. A cute little short sleeved sweater from Spring 2008 Interweave Knits. The pattern called for yarn I already had in my stash, so I just needed to knit this up! Call it stashbusting in a big way, since I had 10 balls of Classic Elite Classic Silk and this pattern uses about 9 of them. I'm finished knitting all the big pieces, and am working on the seed stitch band that runs up the fronts.

2. Flow. A very very simple little tank top designed by one of the great knitting goddesses of all time, Norah Gaughan. What makes this project so great is the yarn, something called Seduce by Berroco. And yes, being a complete yarn slut, I was very easily seduced...I chose the Verdigris colorway. Anyway. I got stalled over the weekend with a small technical glitch, but it should be humming along nicely this week. My goal is to finish this one before the upcoming weekend in the Mountains.

3. Socks. Simple plain ol' socks. In a gorgeous Alpaca blend - Alpaca Sox from Classic Elite; slightly stripey in shades of grey. For the man in your life, or mine. Two weeks into this one, I have two socks finished. Except the first one is HUGE, and I have to reknit. A learning experience. My gut told me all along it was too big, but I didn't LISTEN to my Inner Knitter voice. The second one came out perfect. So back to the drawing board with the first one. Harumph. Next time I will listen to that little voice telling me the truth.

4. Raglan sleeve cardigan for Mom. This one has been on the mind awhile. I have the yarn, the pattern and did the measurements. It's worked from the top down, and so far so good. I have over half the yoke finished and I only cast on Sunday morning.

Don't you want to be Kanye?

I know this is way off knitting topic, but I saw this on the subway the other day and just could not resist grabbing the shot. This may be one of the most bizarre things I've seen in awhile. And it really made me laugh!


Apologies for the poor quality, I used my Blackberry. When I asked out loud "Is this for real?" I got an unexpected response from a fellow passenger who commented he wasn't sure, but he'd seen this poster once before on the subways. Yo Kanye, got ego??!

Two Worlds

I straddle two worlds and have done so for a very long time. One world is corporate, the other more creative/artistic. The corporate world has provided me with decent income, good savings, decent benefits, some rewards and excellent training opportunities. The artistic world is one I've lived vicariously through friends and people I associate with.

It's been a struggle for years to decide if I should stop straddling and make a decision to join one world or the other.

So it was on Thursday night when I attended an incredible performance by Jerry Douglas at the Prospect Park Bandshell. Sitting there listening to him and his amazing band, I pondered the notion of how lucky some people are to live completely in the creative world and be successful. To me, they are the embodiment of "living the dream". They get to live their passions completely. When I am in the corporate world, I rarely see that same passion. I see lots of people like me getting through the day. I seriously doubt they have the kind of passion I witnessed in Jerry Douglas and his band.

I wondered how a person knows the path to choose when starting out. How do you know? Because I didn't that's for sure. I wanted to chase film, architecture, design. I was discouraged from all these by concerned parents. I needed more of a backbone, more survival instinct. Instead their appeals for security resonated somehow. Maybe all the moving around, the unsettled feelings in childhood left their mark.

People who know me would be surprised to hear me say I need a backbone.. They think I am strong willed. But the truth is, I've made agreements when taking a stand and voicing my desires would have served me better. I let their fears become mine.

Which brings me to the knitting. It grabbed me two years ago. Hard. It hasn't let go one bit since. It consumes my thoughts most days. Knitting has opened up the world of possibilities. That maybe I won't have to straddle much longer. Maybe I can find a path through the knitting that will fuse the passion to the daily living.

I've learned I am more fearless than I believed. I was called a shaolin master by a friend, and I appreciated that. I learn by doing, I learn from mistakes. Each project brings on new challenges, new things to learn. In that way, my knitting is fearless. So why not the rest of my world?

And now I also know that someday I want to be as good a knitter as Jerry Douglas is at Dobro. Now that's aspiring to the highest level! And why not!?

Rudy Patrols the Hood

rudy meets a long lost cousin
Originally uploaded by knithound brooklyn

My Rudy is a cheerful little man. With good reason! He has a great life, very comfortable, full of variety, low stress, he is the commander of his Universe.

He's also a little macho man. Maybe it's his low rider stature, or maybe it's that he's really a BIG dog, just extremely short. When he takes to the streets, he owns them. Rudy is determined, steadfast, in charge, confident. He trots along, checking things out, making sure the all the cats and squirrels know their place. He has everything under control. In fact, as the name implies, Rudy is the Mayor of Park Slope.

snobby rudy
Originally uploaded by knithound brooklyn

So last night when he happened across one of his own, a tribe member so to speak, you'd think he would be happy to commune. Maybe take a few moments to compare notes. Discuss local politics, or gossip a bit.

But perhaps the other dog told him some unsettling news. Whatever it was, Rudy didn't take the news well. No Siree, he was quite displeased.

Rudy decides he's still the mayor
Originally uploaded by knithound brooklyn

Are the polls moving in the wrong direction? Is this dog complaining that the Mayor has more work to do around these parts? Whatever it was, Rudy decided he wanted no more and told the other guy to "Get Lost!"

Harrumph!

rudy likes black eyed suzies
Originally uploaded by knithound brooklyn

Moments later, all was forgotten and Rudy went back to scanning the latest news, inspecting his turf and reassuring himself that he still commands these streets with his good natured cheerful determination.

DLP Scarf

DLP scarf 006
Originally uploaded by knithound brooklyn

Design: Here & There Cables, by Norah Gaughn (Ravelry)
Source: Scarf Style, Interweave Press
Yarn: Reynolds Odyssey, Granite mix, 6 skeins
Needle: US #8
Started: March 1, 2008
Finished: June 1, 2008

My friend and former neighbor DLP celebrated one of those huge milestone birthdays back in January. I attended his little gathering on a cold Sunday evening, at one of my favorite restaurants in my old neighborhood.

It was so great to see him surrounded by people who really love and care for him. DLP is a survivor. A 4-time survivor. I marvel at his determination and willpower every time I see him. I know we've all been rooting for him and wow, just wow.

So after the little party I offered up a knitted gift and asked him what did he favor? Why, a scarf of course! Now at the time, I had no pattern in mind, but one thing I did know, I wanted something that would somehow represent the twists and turns one's life can take. Lord knows, DLP has had a few of those.

DLP scarf 007
Originally uploaded by knithound brooklyn

Technically speaking, I wanted a reversible scarf. So off I went to my little library of knit books, and also a very thorough search on Ravely. I came up with this scarf, which of course was designed by one of my favorite knit designers, Norah Gaughn.

Well. That settled it. This is the one. I ordered the yarn and cast on. Way back in March. But. Then I realized I was kinda burnt out on cables, having come off another couple of projects. My brain was tired or something. I needed a break from cables.

So it went back in the bag for awhile. And when I pulled it out to resume, my cable mojo was back big time. I finished it off in about 3 days, knitting on the subway, during local Knit Meet Ups and well into some evenings when I surely needed to be in bed.

doug scarf 005
Originally uploaded by knithound brooklyn

Just as I finished, well wouldn't you know the biggest heat wave of the summer (so far) came along and busy NYers that we all are, tonite! finally. I guess he has another six months now to contemplate how the cables, like little rivers of wool cross over themselves endlessly from beginning to end.

It's a good pattern, it did keep my interest, and the yarn is terrific to work. I made another gift using the remainders, you can read about that one here. Hats off to Norah, she remains one of my heroines.


We had a lovely visit, punctuated with news, family talk, some giggles and a nice cold beer. It was odd to be back in my old building. The trees we planted so many years ago completely canopy the entry. Neat! That neighborhood is so pleasant during the week but an absolute touristy nightmare on the weekends.

It's always great to catch up with D&M, and I wish we could do it more often.

doug scarf 010
Originally uploaded by knithound brooklyn

M was so surprised I've "become a knitter". She's not the only one. But then again, maybe it's not so surprising. I like repetitive tasks - they don't bore me, I get into a zen like rhythm and then my mind starts to riff on all kinds of stuff. While knitting this scarf the riff was all about illness, recovery, pressing onward, never giving up.

lap dog topiary
Originally uploaded by knithound brooklyn

Oh. And as I headed off to the subway, I couldn't help noticing our block has taken on airs. Well well well.

Uplifting News

Carroll Street Bridge
Originally uploaded by josegaytan82

We received great news here at Chez Knithound. DH's photography proposal to the Brooklyn Public Library was accepted and they awarded him a SOLO show in the Grand Lobby in 2009! We are completely thrilled!! And nervously excited. The project chronicles the rapid transition of the Gowanus area in Brooklyn.

Now, DH has been a photographer a very long time. It's really cool he is getting a chance to share the work to a wider audience.

Well! We are happy happy happy. Time is of the essence. So much to do. Racing against a very big deadline.

VERY Belated Birthday Vest

Design: Professor Vest, by Elizabeth Morrison
Yarn: Black Water Abbey, 2 ply worsted, Chestnut
Needle: US #7
Started: March 25, 2008
Finished: May 16, 2008

There's a story behind why this is such a belated birthday gift. I actually started a different vest last year. Same pattern, same yarn, different color. A gorgeous sea green color. After laboring over that one for months, it turned out to be too big. In fact, it was so big it actually fits DH instead. Not that he's worn it more than once, but that's for another blog entry.

So, fortunately I had the Chestnut color of this wool. Which by the way, I love. Let me get back to the subject of the yarn later. For now, here's a shot of the first vest I made last year. Pretty color - Moss. For this version I used some vintage leather buttons I happened to have in my sewing basket. Very professorial if I do say so. I did make a teensy error on this version. For some reason the buttons are on the 'wrong' side for a man's version of the vest. It's one of those things that I really need to go back and correct. Because I would like to see this garment worn.

Anyway, having made the vest once before, the second time was a cinch. The only reason it took as long as it did was all the other projects I was working at the same time. I finished knitting this up back in May. And then it sat around till last week when I finally hit M&J Trimming to pick up the right buttons. I found some natural horn buttons. They work perfectly with the Chestnut colorway.

RCP came by the house today to pick up the vest and it gave me the opportunity to take a few shots with him modeling the final product. He's really happy with it and I am, too.

The stitch pattern is called Broken Rib. It's very easy, and the result is quite manly. It should also be quite warm, with all those little yarn cells to keep the heat in.

Knitting for men is a real challenge. Most of them are pretty conservative and that can mean a bit boring. Fortunately, RCP takes pride in his clothes. He comes from Texas - his mother was a seamstress, his father a jeweler. He likes fine clothes. I am a bit surprised he actually likes this vest as it's a bit more "country rustic" than his usual style.

I love the color of this yarn. If you get it outside in natural light you can see red, gold, green all reflected in the main chestnut color. This stuff is fantastic. I think that's why RCP likes it. The yarn has depth. Character. It's made in Ireland. The color card I got when I ordered the yarn shows some gorgeous selections.

It may not feel the softest off the skein, but wool like this doesn't bother me too much, and it's not designed to be worn directly against the skin anyway. It's crisp, crunchy yarn with a good twist. Made in Ireland. It looks like it's made there! This is the yarn for a really sturdy Aran sweater. And someday, that's just what it will be. There are a few designs out there worth a try, like Na Craga, or anything else by Alice Starmore.

RCP looks quite handsome in his new vest. It fits perfectly! I am very pleased with the outcome of this belated gift. Some things are worth waiting for! The irony is, his birthday is just around the corner again, leaving me with a bit of a dilemma for what to knit for this year's gift!

Lizard Ridge

Lizard Ridge
Originally uploaded by knithound brooklyn

Design: Lizard Ridge Afghan, by Laura Naylor
Yarn: Noro Kureyon; 24 skeins various colors; 30 squares in all plus one skein Cascade 220 Garnet for seaming and edging
Needle: US #8
Started: February, 2008
Finished: June, 2008

This is a wedding gift for my friends S&S. They were married in secret over a year ago. Got hitched at City Hall and then took off on a cruise to the Galapagos Islands. Smart kids. They have a beautiful oasis of calm in the mountains upstate. This will look gorgeous in their little cabin. I can't wait to give it to them.

I can picture them sitting on the deck overlooking the lake with this blanket to keep the morning chill off.

The colors in this blanket are gorgeous. Even the reverse side is nice. The seaming was easy; I'm proud of the neatness. The I Cord Binding worked out, though it was slow going. The corners were important and took a few attempts to get the right proportion of added rows to make the turn. Worked out okay, don't you think?

The Lizard Ridge Afghan, folded and close up of the I Cord Binding around the entire edge. I used Cascade 220, garnet, 1 skein to seam all the squares and to do the edging. A nice compliment to all the colors in the project!

I am supremely pleased with the results of this project. I learned short row shaping. While knitting the 30 squares I riffed on so many future ideas, variations on this theme. The color combinations were endlessly fascinating, and in the cases where I pieced various skeins together to economize, it was really fun to combine yarns to come up with unique variations.

This blanket will be made again. My sister expressed interest.

Baby Surprise Jacket

Baby Surprise Jacket
Originally uploaded by knithound brooklyn

I blogged about this project about a week ago and since then I've finished all the knitting and bought the buttons. I still need to seam up the top. The buttons came from M&J Trimming, that button mecca in the Garment District.

I did the entire project in a little over a week. This is a process knit not a project knit. By that I mean, I did this simply to learn the process and I have no recipient in mind.
It led me to think about why I knit the things I do. In almost all the projects, I learn a new technique or stitch. There is some challenge that I want to take on with every project. There are process knitters and there are project knitters.
I would say I am a little of both, and I'm happy with that. It's a good balance overall.

You see, it's all knit in one piece. As you're going along, you're thinking "what the heck?"

But just as her pattern urges, "Press on". I am really tuned into the notion of "press on" these days. By breaking down a task, whatever it is - knitting, woodwork refinishing, selling telecomms, getting the house ready to sell, navigating my future life, whatever it is, just break it down into steps and focus on the step itself. Stay focused, and do your best before moving to the next step.

This is helping me be fearless. Because while I am focused on the task at hand, I become more comfortable with it and as I realize there's nothing to fear.

That blob turns into a sweater by simply folding the sides in. The only seam runs across the top! Here's the back of the sweater.

The yarn is diVe Zenith. I bought a ton of this stuff on sale at Webs. I have 11 different bright colors, 3 or 4 balls of each. The idea was to have a simple superwash worsted on hand for baby gifts. This is the first use of the diVe. It's okay, good stitch definition, sometimes a bit splitty but nothing I can't deal with.

This is a close-up of the garter stitch across the back. The stripes were added at random when I felt like it. You can also see the increases that are evenly spaced across the back, part of the pattern. When I do this sweater again, and I WILL do it again, I will use a different increase method. For this one, I did M1. I think it would be better to do a backward cast on.

What an amazing pattern. Now I GET it. What all the fuss is when it comes to Elizabeth Zimmerman. I'd been a bit intimidated by her knitting because her patterns are a bit open ended. I have a lot of respect for EZ, having finished this little project. And I can't wait to do another EZ project!