Where the heck have you been?

I've been sick and life got in the way. I have the monster of all monster sinus infections. I sat for 7 hours in my local outpatients department to find out that my own diagnosis was bang on and then after leaving over $100 at the local legalized drug dealing establishment, I came home and was totally miserable for many hours more. I am still at home and for the moment feeling not so bad so long as I don't move my head too quickly or bend over. If I do that, I am rewarded with excruciating pain and pressure. It feels like my eyes are resting on my cheeks and my nose is like 3 sizes bigger than normal. So long story short I was miserable but as of this minute, I think I will survive (that's a threat). But I am not going to work just yet. The doctor ordered rest and far be it from me to disagree with him.

On the knitting front, I have come to an epiphany of sorts. I HATE MY JAYWALKERS!!!!! I love the pattern, I love Grumperina - the pattern designer. I love the Jaywalkers that others have knit for example Line(pronounced Lynn) just finished one recently . However I can't seem to get mine to fit my feet nor can I get them to look like a sock that I would even want to wear. I have tried twice to persuade them to comply but it appears to be futile (note the intended Borg reference). I have knit tons of socks in my life. My husband loves my "dress" socks and my Dad covets my "work" socks and I have a friend who positively begs me to knit socks for her and pays me good money to do so but these Jaywalkers have defeated me. They will be going to the frog pond I think.


In the mean time, while the painkillers are working (for about the first hour or so after taking it), I have started another pair of socks. This time I am using some Opal handpainted Rosehip yarn that a friend picked up for me in Halifax last year.

I am just using the pattern I have in my head but I am doing them a bit differently. I started with the standard 2X2 knit/purl ribbing over 80 stitches and then changed to knit 6 purl 2. Then every six rows I do a a purl row. I like the way they are turning out and the elasticity that the modified ribbing is providing is really nice.

One day I hope to give Jaywalkers a try again. But for now I am going to put this pattern on hold. They will be unraveled this afternoon for sure.

I am going to be participating in a Lace Knit Along that Heidi of London Wul Farm will be hosting starting on May 2nd. You can get the details by clicking here. This KAL is based on the Ab/Fab patterns in Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby.




AND if you purchase your book and yarn from Heidi, you will get a 15% discount on both. I did just that and now all that remains is to chose a pattern. I might want to exchange the color of the yarn I have chosen.


It is Merino Lace by Skacel in a lovely red (red does not photograph well - it is more of a blue red as opposed to an orange red). However I might want to exchange the colour if Heidi will oblige, I think I may want to go with something more pastel for spring and summer.

For me, it is necessary to pay attention to the finished size of the shawl or scarf because I am a "woman of size". So a stole for example that would probably wrap around the average person a couple of times might just barely cover my shoulders and arms with very little left for drape and effect. For example the cover shawl would probably fall between my waist and hip rather than below the hip level as shown. Plus I don't want to choose something too complicated for my first item from this book. I think I want to get my feet wet first before jumping in up to my neck.

I have narrowed it done to these 2.

This is the Victoria Shawl. It is rated at an Intermediate Lace level. It is 32 inches by 82 inches which will give me the drape needed while accommodating my size. Its knit on 4.5 mm needles and it looks fairly uncomplicated to me. The charts appear to be fairly easy to read.



And this is the Myrtle Leaf Shawl. Tanya is doing this one right now but found an error in the pattern and posted the correction on her blog. This one measures out at 21 inches by 76 inches. I would probably want to make mine a bit wider and a bit longer.

But I don't want to go messing around with the pattern too much for my first go, so it looks like the Victorian Shawl is the winner.

In the meantime I think I will drop by the Wul Farm on Wednesday evening (if I am feeling well enough) just to connect with some knitters. Heidi invites knitters to the shop on the second and third Wednesday of every month. I don't have anyone living near me who is as fanatical about knitting and yarn as I am let alone even remotely interested in it. Dropping in on the group will be a nice change of pace for me.

That is enough computer fun for one day, my headache seems to be coming back and I think a nap is in order. Then more meds and maybe a bit of knitting or frogging or both.

What do you mean - They don't fit? - an update

Well they just don't fit, that is all there is to it. The Jaywalker fabric, because of the way it is knit, is not very flexible. There is little to no ease in the fabric at all. And I knit quite tightly. So, silly me, having turned the heel and finishing the gusset, I decided to try one on. Well I managed to get my toes in the cuff to about half way down but there way no way in this lifetime that my feet ( they are ugly chubby things) would ever fit all the way into these very soft socks. Why I didn't try them on sooner is beyond me but I didn't and so I am paying the price. I generally don't swatch for socks. I have knit so many that I usually know what to expect with this weight yarn (it's Austermann Step) and my 2mm Addi Turbos .

So to the Frog Pond they went. And after rewinding the wool, I set up another pair. This time I am using 2.5 mm and I am using the pattern for larger Jaywalkers .

I have cast on 100 stitches, have the ribbing done and I am just starting the pattern so we will see if this does the trick. I am definitely going to try them on sooner this time. I will keep you posted.

Did you make that?

I most certainly did make this. This is a photo of my first little skein of "wheel spun yarn" and I am so proud of myself. It is spun from fibre from one of Heidi Wulfraat's little sheepies.


The little ball is an example of a single. It's what results from the initial spinning process. The skein is 2 singles plied together to make a stronger and more serviceable yarn. I found the rolag that Heidi gave us to spin was very soft and left my fingers soft with lanolin but not in any way greasy or uncomfortable. The yarn in my little skein is much softer than Briggs and Little 100% wool for example. I would definitely spin and knit with this wool again and again. I can see my husband and father wearing socks and mitts from this fibre and enjoying them as very wearable garments. There is definitely spinning wheel acquisition in my near future. Heid and I will have to have a nice long chat, after which I will give her money and she will give me a wheel. Ahhh commerce, gotta love it.

Now anyone who knows me knows I am not a religious or spiritual person but I do believe that we experience things from other times and other existences. I know, get out the straight jacket but that is just the way I see my place in this world. Part of the journey I guess. So it did not feel in any way weird that I got choked up when I sat down to the wheel. It was something I understood on some level and I embraced it with joy. I was almost relieved sitting there looking at the wheel and I felt sort of like one feels when they come home from a long trip. I know that sounds absolutely crazy but that is what I felt. It was a déjà vu moment and that is all there is to it. The moment I put my feet on the treadles and began spinning the wheel, I felt so comfortable and so relaxed. It was what I knew how to do and what I felt in the center of myself as being part of who I am.

The spinning was so satisfying and felt so familiar and I caught on really quickly. When I learned to spin with the drop spindle it felt always like I was doing something backwards; I was never truly comfortable with the process. Once I sat at the wheel however, I somehow realized that drop spindling felt that way because wheel spinning was what I had known all along. My first little skein of yarn was declared perfectly balanced by Heidi. She told me she was very impressed with it. Well so am I. You can teach an old dog new tricks but it helps if you knew the trick before and just needed to be reminded.

Where are the photos you promised?

I have been so busy, thus the lateness of the photos. As a matter of fact I have been busy knitting. I have a photo of the beginnings of my Jaywalkers in Austermann Step [I am using color 01 laub (Gold,Brown,Multi-Color)] and then I have a photo of the cuff nearly done.

The finished Knit Picks have been sold!

Can you believe it? I took them to work to show my friend and she bought them! She has purchased socks from me before so when she saw these she freaked. They are colors that she is currently in love with - she is going through a 70's retro phase - so she started digging for money immediately.

So they are gone with a fond farewell.

I photographed the beginnings of my Jaywalkers


and then continued knitting and now the cuffs are about half done.





I like this pattern very much. Its free (see link above). It is easy to do, only 2 rows to the pattern and it makes a firm fabric. The pattern is coming up nicely and looks lovely in the long color runs of the Step yarn which are interspersed with short one row lengths of white.

I am not so sure how I feel about the yarn. I hate yarn that halos while you are knitting, which this one seems to be doing. I am also not so keen on it because the yarn tends to split a bit. But it is very soft to knit with of course with the Aloe and Jojoba in it. I am not sure how they will wear. The info on the Yarndex site says the Aloe and Jojoba will last for up to 40 household washings. I will be interested to see if that is indeed the case.

I have made a couple of mistakes but I have not frogged or tinked them. They are there and not too noticable. This is a departure for me. I generally frog or tink (knit backwards) every little boo boo but for some reason I felt the need to just let the little faux pas be what they are - part of my socks.

The pattern is written for DPNs but I am using my usual 2 Addi circs in 2mm. There is also a pattern out there for Toe Up Jaywalkers and there is a resourse for making larger size Jaywalkers. This pattern is the creation of Grumperina . You can see lots of finished Jaywalkers in her Gallery . Why not give them a try yourself.

I will probably post again when I get the heel started.

Where are the photos? and Where did all the time go?

I finished the socks! Last night, Sunday, I put the finishing touches on the Knit Picks socks. I like them! I will have photos as soon as I can come out from under some other things that have been hanging over my head like the cushions for my sister in law's sun room couch and chair. I will try to get photos tonight and post them tomorrow.

Oh and just to add some fun to the mix, I set up the Austermann Step socks (the ones with Aloe and Jojoba in the fibre) last night, so photos of those soon too.

Today is Son the Elder's birthday so we are going to his place for dinner. Saturday was Sun the Younger's birthday but he was so sick with the flu that he didn't enjoy a moment of it. He is still not feeling very well so will not be joining us this evening. I can't believe that my children are 32 and 21 already (that's right there is nearly 11 years to the day between my sons). Where did all that time go? It flew by while we were having fun growing up together. I am way too young for all of this. Well at least in my head. And if you are only as old as you feel, today I don't feel a day over 30 so I guess I am not so old after all.

Soon.