oi vey its been too long - something about the turning into spring here in the north - its seems like such an upheaval - with rain and wind and dark cloudy days and then a day or two of sun and promise of warm weather and then back to the wind and rain and clouds... this goes back and forth for weeks - - - it really takes a toil on me. i think i am much more sensitive to the weather than i realize.

work has heated up to a stressful level - lots of angst and tension and - well, lets just say i was at the office very late three nights last week (like midnight including friday)... and although the weekend was really gorgeous i was exhausted. and enjoyed it thru my windows - of course i had done my garden winter clean up last weekend in the cold and wind and wet - but it was nice to know that as i was tired i wasnt remorseful about not working in the garden - its a grand feeling to look out at my little garden plot (its only 80 square feet) and see it all clean and laid down with mulch and all the roses pruned nicely (like haircuts ) and lovely little green and red leaves bursting on the rose canes and the gorgeous red peony buds poking up thru the mulch in such a hurry to come up. and the few lillies that survived the drought poking too.

so today and this week i MUST plan my orders - at least the summer bulbs - i once again didnt order any spring bulbs - i was working way too much last fall and didnt get anything in. but next year... tulips and croci and hyacinths i swear!

anyway i love lillies and would have a whole garden of them if i could - but i love phlox and snapdragons and sweet willilam and foxglove and delphs and , well the list is way too long for a little plot such as mine. so i have to be judicious and order three of this and three of that and ....

i do get to order a new rose as i have decided to get another rose pillar and put another climbing rose on it - this one will be taller and willl have some gorgeous pink climber - i just have to find one - i could also have hundreds of roses if i had the room.

ok more later

the knitting finger moves...

hmm another week flies by....

mainly i dont post enough cause i only have a laptop and a dialup connection at home and well, after working all day in an IS (computer dept) when i get home (finally - usualy 7-8 pm) all i want to do is knit - something non-computer related and with the satisfaction of seeing immediate results. its like when i was studying piano and practicing 4-5 hours a day and working at night, i became a fiendish baker - baking all the time - bringing in goodies to work and to my teacher (who gave me extra time so i felt it was some small compensation) anyway - she said i baked to have a "result" in my day - since practicing and playing the piano is a long term process.

how i got to IS from music - dont ask. (and there are a few other twists in between).

anyway

yesterday i heard from the wonderous meg at Schoolhouse Press that the Frost JACKET book AND the republished A History of Hand Knitting by Richard Rutt are BOTH on their way in the mail.... ooooohhhhh i can not wait.

to quote Meg - "I was excited about the idea even before the publisher asked me to write the foreword. Am I allowed to quote myself?: What a useful and welcome book this is. At present we are happily awash in scores of books about knitting techniques and garment design, but relatively lacking in information about the origins of our craft. The knowledge herein offers the historical continuity necessary to provide a solid foundation for our ever-growing knitting community." see more on her New Books page.

i have been working on the Aran Cardigan i am designing (as i go)/knitting for my nephew. i am at the point where i need to decide to do something with the sleeves - either STEEK or split off the front and the back and proceed on them separately. i am also waiting on the total length of the cardigan (hopefully my sister will get it tonight). i hope i can get it cause its about 10 inches long right now and i just finished one of the valentine heart patterns so it would be a good place to steek or split.

i am really thinking i will steek the sleeves - i am already steeking the front of the cardigan - even tho i am making this in COTTON FLEECE. i have steeked in wool and it was fine. cotton will be another thing - but well, i am nothing if not adventurous. but for now i need to wait until later to get the length so i can figure out when to do this steek.

i decided to re read the Elizabeth Zimmerman books - so on the subway tonight you will see me reading "Knitting Around".
onward

ok so its been another crazy week... i meant to post over the weekend and yesterday - my job requires a lot of admin work for the computer systems of the law firm at which i work and i monitor the backups for all the servers... 80+ so each day i spend about an hour or so dealing with the admin of the backups.... then there are other problems which creep in - anyway, this is all to say that i meant to post yesterday and didnt - it was a choice of going home at 630 or staying even later... i went home.

a reader commented that i should check out CBC - i think i will - i keep forgetting about it in my enthusiasm for the BBC...so i will try it today.

on to knitting stuff -
(i KNOW i need a digital camera...i am searching...)
so last night, based on the latest measurements of my nephew, i FROGGEd the little red cardigan i knit last summer and fall and which i never sewed the buttons on - that'll teach me right? so now i am starting a larger size of the same cardigan - its of my own design - out of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece - Barn Red - its full of cables and i loved designing and knitting it the first time - so this time will be easier... i might even write down what i do. it was a little depressing to rip it out but i am looking forward to reknitting it in a size that i hope he can wear for at least a year or so.

his chest is 21" now and i am thinking of making the circumference 25" so that it will fit over clothes and last a bit more than a few months.

i tried to stay up and cast on but i was pooped by the time i had frogged and rewound the yarn = while listening to the BBC news on the war. so i cast on on the subway this morning.

warning warning rant ahead
why oh why is it that people feel they have the right to SPREAD out (including their legs) over more than one seat on the subway DURING RUSH HOUR!!!!??? i have gotten really aggressive and like this morning, will sit or actually perch on whatever open inches i see - usually people ignore you but this morning the woman on one side of me engaged in not-so-sublte but passive-aggressive behaviour by pushing her left leg against my right leg - i just sat there and pretended i didnt feel anything and prayed (yes, prayer is very useful at times like these for me) and after about 5 minutes or so, she stopped.

someday i am going to say = "and did you remember to pay for the two seats you are taking up?" but i would probably get shot, right?

ARGH
ok, rant over.

am itching to start one of the Alice Starmore sweaters for me... let me say i have only worked on the Seaweed Stole of AS's designs so far - i have the kit for both bags (Thistle Bag and Heart Bag) i have NOT knitted a sweater yet - but i LOVE LOVE LOVE cables and i think i know enough about how to adjust my gauge and handle cables and sweater construction etc.. so i just may have to plunge in and start something now in hopes that i can finish it and be able to wear it in the fall - when it will be cold again aroundabouts here in nyc.

so here's the ones i am thinking of choosing for my first AS sweater... (out of the hundred or so that i have on my wish list).


Maidenhair Cardigan


Irish Moss


Fulmar

All these designs are at VIRTUAL YARNS
NAYY - just a very appreciative customer.

i will be pondering this for a few days and will report back as to what i decide. comments, suggestions, etc welcome!

happy knitting!

war and knitting

this is a big topic - and i wont even begin to tackle it here. suffice it to say that
1) i am a news junkie
2) bbc has the best unbiased news coverage
3) knitting is great for calming one down during hours of war coverage

so what did you knit last night while watching the news?? (come on, own up, you did watch didnt you?)


Seaweed Stole

as i dozed on the sofa off and on all night long - with the BBC News on one of the local public tv stations - i worked on a stole designed by Alice Starmore
i hadnt worked on this in months and months - its out of her new yarn and in a gorgeous color -Clover

interestingly when i first got this pattern and yarn - last fall/winter - i had a really hard time working the pattern cause i wasnt used to intricate lace patterns - so it was very slow going - checking each row (there are 6 pattern rows each different with the first and last five stitches different from the repeating pattern of the row) as i went along

however! last night and early this morning i realized that i was starting to "read my knitting" and was memorizing the pattern for each row - at least for the row, if not remembering it after just doing one repeat on a row while checking against the card... woohoo! now i cant sit down right now and rewrite the pattern (probably should try that to really memorize it) but its going a bit faster than a year ago. i find it encouraging to see improvement like this in my personal life.

check out Alice's website
virtual yarns

its full of GORGEOUS patterns and yarns and stories about life in the hebrides isles... sounds like heaven to me! i am trying to justify a trip to scotland and the hebrides islands... anyone need some computer consulting work ?

keep knitting!

well its 8 pm on wednesday march 19th... are we at war yet?

this wont be a political blog entry - but please read Maureen Dowd and Tom Friedman in today's NYTIMES.

may the Lord above help us all.

ok, knitting news
its been really busy at work - i know, i am tired of writing it too. and i dont even know if this will get on the site cause blogger.com is down tonight...

got new measurements for my nephew and so can continue on with the cotton fleece aran pullover. have only the end of the first sleeve and the second sleeve to finish on the wool version of the same design.

spent a couple of nights drooling over older magazines and trying to figure out a sweater pattern for me... but i may wait til i get the new Jean Frost Jacket book and do one of them.

spent a very productive sunday two weeks ago reorganizing the bags of stash into a corner (from the end of the coffee table right in the middle of the living room)... now i am on the quest to find some pretty storage baskets with LIDS that dont cost 100.00 a piece. i keep meaning to look at work where its fast connection but i have been really busy... ok ok.

ok i need to run now... more later

i'm back...

well its snowing ... what, not cats and dogs, but something fierce... out my office window i can only see about two blocks up madison avenue... and its pretty quiet out there...perversely the days of bad weather my trains run fine - its the nice weather days they seem to loiter along.

should be quiet here today - as it is now, so a little chance to catch up...

well, that was written six hours ago - obviously not a quiet day --- and the snow is STILL falling... hmm i am NOT looking forward to the schelpp home - soon to be 50 cents more due to the wisdom of our MTA board.

the prez is speaking tonight at a press conference maybe i will update my blog during that ... ok more later

monday - catchup day

home sick today - started with an asthma attack during the wee hours of the morn and so i was going to go in late morningish but when i woke up after about 4 hours of sleep, i had a splitting headache and it didnt get better, thru hot shower, hot tea, toast - so i gave up. spent three+ hours fielding emails and cellphone calls about work. .. well its hours later and still not feeling better... am praying its not the flu - but since i am achy all over and feel slightly - well, you know, when food is something you dont want - it may be. ugh. i took advil and am pretending to feel better.

Updates
the end of last week was very busy - i was at work late both thu and fri - and didnt want to stay to update my blog. pretty much went to bed right away when i got home each night. spent sat and sun continuing the ongoing cleanup project called my apartment (i worked seven days for almost four straight months - so things were pretty much neglected around here). this is the second weekend ive had a weekend - and i am starting to feel encouraged... of course the next big project is to clean out the living room closet of all the clothes i have stored in there that i havent worn in ages (and probably wont) and then redo the closet as a "stash" closet - thus ridding the other half of the sofa of its stash and clearing the room of the numerous shopping bags in neat stacks - all filled with yarn.

on the knitting fronti
finished the little aran pullover from Nichols/Falick Heirloom Projects for baby book - ended up knitting the sleeves separately and then sewing them in - it actually looks pretty adorable - its the three month size - but the yarn i used was a little thicker so while i got the stitch gauge, my row gauge was a bit larger - its longer than it would have been - not really a bad thing i think given things like diapers. i designed a little aran hat to go with it. i just have to sew buttons on. and take a photo. and then wrap it up and take it to work to give to the colleague.

i re-examined the other almostFOs for my nephew - one i know (a best baby sweater) is definitely too small - there is another new baby boy among my colleagues - only thing is that this sweater is a pretty soft red and i dont know if i can give red to a chinese baby boy? anyone know if that's a problem? i seem to remember reading on some knit list.

the other is a little red aran cardigan - it may be too short, in which case i can rip out the bottom ribbing and add a few inches of the cables to the bottom - i will have to get updated measurements from my sister. it just needs buttons. i really need to get these things out of here.

on the aran pullover for my nephew i had the end of the first sleeve to finish and then the second sleeve to do. i am doing them by picking up the stitches from the sleeve opening and knitting down from the top (reversing the pattern increases to decreases). its pretty easy as the increases where every fourth row and i am doing a XO cable down the center of the sleeve and doing the increases on the cable rows. i love that when the second sleeve is done, i just have the buttons to sew on.

of course, now i see why someone posted that loong list of button websites on the KNITU mailing list - they are the finishing item that can really make the garment, i think and of course, it is the design decision that is easy to put off (at least for me).

ok, i need to go lie down now.

midweek - wednesday

did you hear about the dog who got caught on the ice in the river? read about it i imagine the owners are embarassed and jubilant at the same time.

not much knitting knews - after shoveling the walkway to the sidewalk on tuesday so i could get out the front door and get to work - and then schlepping in - it was a busy day so i kept falling asleep last night while knitting - only about an inch left on the second sleeve and then just sewing them on to the body and getting buttons for the top and then FO!!!!

as for the nephew sweater - i need to finish the top of the front and then do the two sleeves - i am hoping i have enough yarn left..

tonight was the Third meeting of the knitting group at my job - i was sure the snow and weather would affect the number of attendees and it did - six brave souls came - two rsvpd. i am really liking the core group of gals who are showing up - its a nice mix of expert and fairly new knitter and returning knitter. i am pushing buying knitting magazines and zimmerman books and the new melville book - you'd think i get commission - of course i started yet another version of the aran pullover for my nephew - this time in Mission Falls 1824 cotton (ebay- pale green) - i actually knit a swatch (!!) well, as moderator of the group i need to practice what i preach - at least while i am there... ;o
i am still surprised when two hours is up - i could stay longer but we all need to get home and come back to work again... sigh.

i am finishing up work and then off home to catch my weekly fix of EASTENDERS . (the station which carries it in my area is about four YEARS behind what is currently running in england - so NO HINTs about what is happening over there, right? i have been tempted to watch the weekly Ominbus on bbc america on saturdays (now that i am not working weekends) but i have resisted temptation so far... how? because the metropolitan opera is broadcasting during the same time!! but once that ends... well, we may weaken...

ok time to dash off home. happy knitting!

snow in new york

well, we got a bit of snow over the weekend - too busy at work today to catch up much right now -- more knitting knews later.

i went walking at dusk in prospect park on monday - and this is one of the scenes i saw - it was very beautiful.

knitting group and other miscellany

last night was the second meeting of the new knitting group at my workplace.
some from the first meeting didnt come back, one has conflicts and wont be joining us now. several emailed about missing. didnt hear from two others - emailed them today. but had three new people come - one newbie and one returning and one expert. the returning knitter had not brought any yarn or needles and we had a lively discussion of the yarn shop closest to our midtown office and what to expect when she goes there - and then about what kind of yarn to buy - with all of us encouraging her to get some lovely gorgeous yarn instead of something sensible and to try to let herself spend a bit of money on what she wants... i offered to go with her - remembering how intimidating some of the salespeople at this particular shop were to me when i was coming back to knitting - i only use them if i am in an ABSOLUTE emergency in terms of accessories and yarn (although i find their selection not very deep). anyway - our group member was little surprised that we were encouraging her to spend good money on good yarn instead of something "to practice" on. we all talked about how you can just rip it out - but that she deserved to create something gorgeous and wonderful for herself. it was amazing to see her realize this could be something she could really enjoy creating!

the expert knitter was a total surprise - a woman who retired from the firm but who keeps an office and comes and goes on her own...the surprise was that she showed up! i hadnt heard from her from any of the announcements i had sent out. she was a wonderful addition - a sharp intelligent presence who enlivened our conversation. i hope she comes again.

these first two meetings have been heartening to me - i was unsure what was going to happen and who would show up and how it was going to go but based on the delights of these two meetings, i am glad that it is taking off so well and look forward to the next one.

as to my projects. .. my order of 12 in circs from Halycon Yarns was delivered in two days (even tho it was ups three day!) so that was good for yesterday. i tried to work on the sleeves for the 3month version of the aran pullover but was tired by the time i got home -(there were some work things i had to attend to after the knitting group broke up).

i did manage to finish the little hat which i created to go with the pullover - i do need to measure and see if it is tall enough - not having a baby around, i have a good diagram for the width of the hat but not for the height - i guess i can check some hats in my baby books and see what - i made it about 6 inches tall - but it knit up so quickly that i can redo it if it seems too small - of course the baby is only two months at this point.... i did the same cable patterns as on the front of the sweater but added a few extra cables to make the pattern continuous around the hat and without the broad side bands of seed stitch that the sweater has.

(ok i am looking for a digital camera and hope to get one soon - like maybe this weekend - so just imagine a little aran hat ;o )

so today i will start the sleeves with the 12in circs and work them - first i have to write out the pattern in reverse (they are written to knit separately and sew in - i will do anything to avoid sewing seams....!!)

looking forward to this three day holiday - although we have our network downtime on saturday morning so that means its really only two and a half days.... BUT they are predicting SNOW sunday and monday - so perfect chance to stay in and KNIT and maybe finish up some of my UFOs that are accumulating - hmm, think i will dedicate this weekend and make it my "finish the UFOs" weekend - it would be great - since i have a bunch of little sweaters that just need seams and buttons and a lap afghan which i need to sew and cut the steek for and then finish the edges. i have some british mystery series i have been saving up - could be just the thing. and i really should do a sweep thru my accumulated stash and record what i have especially with the acquisition of new needles - it always reminds me, i need to update my needle inventory database. ok thats enough things to do!

happy knitting!