Fresh Air

What's on the Sticks

I've been getting so many visits lately from fellow knitters that I have been feeling guilty about laying down the sticks for the summer.  So, last weekend I picked them up again and lo and behold, I finished the back on my very first garment - a short sleeved sweater crafted from 5 different yarns; 2 cottalin, 2 mohair and a metallic for visual interest.  The first front is about 1/5 the way done now and thanks to the folks at Tricoter, my freindly, just-up-the-street knitting shop, nothing has gone seriously awry as of yet.

Other things on sticks currently in process:

1. A beautiful knit on the diagonal eyelash yarn scarf for my 15 year old daughter Arianna.  It is *really long* - just the way she likes it.
2. A cashmere scarf slated for my freind Mark.
3. A black wool scarf done in a 1" checkerboard pattern slated for my freind and "big brother" Bill.
4. 4. A complementary scarf that is a series cable knit stitches, making the whole scarf skew one direction than the other.  The overall effect is very cool, and it came out of Scarf Style and will look like this!
5. 5. The huge sofa blanket that I started last fall for Alan.  Now he's talking about wanting to switch the library rug, which will really wreak havoc with my plans for a graceful drape over the back of the sofa.  Either that, or we find another large red Turkish rug.  Husbands can be frustrating sometimes!  And, the big, fluffy gray Persian has taken over that basket as his own; I'm not sure he'll be happy when I pick this project up once more.

So that's what's on the sticks.  I avoided spending money on yarn during a sale last week at my local fabric store.  Instead, I dumped a fair bit of change on fabric instead, including material for an enormous cape.  The sewing machine is almost as soothing as my knitting though not nearly as portable.   However, one can create actual garments in a fraction of the time it takes to knit something.  It's all a balancing act, eh?

More later this weekend.  I've set it as a goal to prove that sometimes, posts *do* happen on the weekends!

Be well.  Kimberley

Knitty Naughty - Knitting REALLY LARGE STUFF

I've recently gotten sucked in to a new project.  Having mastered the Art of the Scarf, thanks to such novel publications as Scarf Style, I felt compelled to try something larger.  In fact, much larger.

My uber-knitting mentor is my Mom (Hi Mom!).  My not-so-uber but also infinitely talented knitting mistress is Beryl Hiatt of Tricoter fame.  On her fourth book with business partner Linden Ward and going strong, Beryl is the type of gal who can make up a pattern at the drop of a hat for just about anything.  Knit a swatch with your chosen yarns, and you're good to go.

Tricoter is (scarily) just up the street from where I live.  I enter their domain, and the tension just ebbs like a gentle wave from my body.  Not only have they crafted one of the most attractive environments I've ever visited (color everywhere!) but the front portion of the store is given over to tables where you can come and knit with other folks.  Yup, just drop right in and pull up a pair of needles.  No muss, no fuss, no invitation required.  And, they'll actually HELP you with any little issue that might have arisen.  Hands-on, lots of encouragement and plenty of support.  That's what I like about Tricoter.

This illustration from their store is what I'd like in my private room (my "meditation suite" - hah!).  I've tried to approximate it with some bookshelves that are currently filled with the LARGE STUFF PROJECT, but it's not quite the same.  I love it nonetheless.

So here's what's cooking: I was digging my hands surreptitiously into the various bins, and found some miraculously soft Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk (ca-ching!) that I wanted to wrap around my body.  Then, I found some other amazing yarns that would add some spice to the mix.  And, as I haven't quite figured out how to justify spending this much money on yarn for a project for me, I decided to knit a little comforter for Alan.  For the library - for his leather chair in said domain. 

Funny how the mind works, isn't it?  This way, I get to:

1. Knit something really huge and beautiful
2. Give it as a gift
3. Use it myself when not otherwise covering Chilly-Willy in the other chair.

Beryl made the pattern up for me after I knit a swatch.  I wanted cables - and got them.  Here's the recipe:

Needles: 24" Size 19 circular needle
Yarn: Mix it up, but make sure your mix can be washed all the same way.  Like, don't mix cotton chenille and wool (that would be baaaaaad).  Make a nice mix about 1/4" around.

CO 23+10+23+10+23+10+23 stitches (that would be 122 total).  BIG HINT: get little flexible washers that fit just over your needles at the hardware store.  Insert them where the cable segments begin and end.  Oh so much easier when you know where you are.  Otherwise it is just a sea of stitches!

On RS, knit all the way across for all rows.
On WS, k23, p10, k23, p10, k23, p10, k23 (the purl stitches provide a smooth stockinette in the cable region of the pattern and garter for all other sections).
For cables, do first twist (to the back) at row 7 (on RS) for all three segments of 10.  I moved 5 stitches to a size 13 circular needle, which made it very easy to bring them forward after knitting through the remaining 5 stitches of the set.  Repeat cable twist every 14 rows.

So far, it's looking spectacular.  And it's fun to knit REALLY LARGE STUFF.  Makes me feel expansive all over!  I'll take a picture (in Year 3 or so) when it's done and post it. 

Thus ends the Knitty Naughty lesson for today.

Brangien Davis: Author, Knitter and Oscar Attendee

Several years ago, when I was in partnership with two of my HIT Lab colleagues at Imprint Interactive, we were fortunate to have several talented Office Managers float in and float out of the business.  And by talented, I mean in ways other than the ability to account for, organize and manage three somewhat random educational technologists.

One of these skilled individuals was Brangien Davis.  Brangien, in addition to supporting our motley crew, was also at that time writing book reviews for Amazon.com.  Her goal at that time was to become a full-time, gainfully employed writer.  Our gig, though fun, was just an opportunity to subsidize her real calling and we knew it.  Brangien added a wonderful new textural layer to our organization - and her wry wit was an excellent antidote to three academics who tended to take themselves and their "work" way too seriously.

Things changed, and Brangien moved on, and I unfortunately lost track of her.  During a recent trip to L.A., I picked up a Seattle Times at the airport, and lo and behold, there was Brangien gracing the front page of the Arts & Entertainment section!  Well, not EXACTLY Brangien, but a hunk of knitting ostensibly completed by this newbie "knitwit" whilst watching a movie.  You can read this very funny article here.  It contains a good selection of Seattle knitting resources as well, which I found quite valuable.

The article left me feeling a rekindled kinship with this woman.  We're both new to knitting (having started in November of last year), and we're both writing (though clearly she gets considerable kudos for moving from book reviews to "Special Contributor to the Seattle Times" status and for having written a very important book on eating disorder prevention as well.)  I encourage you to look for her work as she's got a great turn of phrase and a pithy sense of humor.

Then, just this week, one of my former partners sends an email about yet another article about Brangien's attendance at the Oscars.  Geez--- the girl must be breathing rarified air to get this type of honor!!  The article is an absolute hoot about what it's like to attend as a non-notable, and though she got to stand within touching distance of Johnny Depp and was supposed to have sat with Orlando Bloom and Julia Roberts - its her description of why it's more fun to watch from home in sweats that I most enjoyed.

If I have the chance to get together with Brangien for coffee, I'll be sure and convey my admiration for her tenacity, her breadth of subject interests, her sense of humor and her humble opinions aptly presented amidst facts and findings.  In the meantime, I'll continue my writing process in the hopes of reaching such a noble and respected status as an author as well.

You go, girl!!