Happy Memorial Day

We have spent our weekend so far biking along the NH sea coast and hiking Mount Monadnock.  I also finished he blue sweater and will post a picture soon but I need to block it. I've also started on an armidllio toy to use up some old knit picks cotton but those picture will have to wait too (so far it's just ears a back and half a head). So here are some pictures of hiking (we also played mini golf but that's not nearly as interesting). 

Wildlife

So today we went running out on a trail by Lexington.  We this 

A coyote. 

And one of these (not my picture)

Yeah, that's a bobcat. 14 miles from Boston. 

Going work in my knitting now. 

Parragon sweater

I'm nearly done with the body - it's cropped with a deep u neck which will get filled in somewhat with a decorative ribbing. The fabric is really nice, and I thinks it will look nice with a collared shirt underneath. 

New routines

So, I got my bike tuned up and now I ride to the T.  It's not only relaxing and pretty, it's faster than the bus too (http://minutemanbikeway.org).

Another thing I had sort of forgotten about living in NE is sleeping with your windows open.  Our neighborhood is really quiet despite being in a very densely populated place.  Also, our kitty likes the window view:

And finally, I took yesterday off so we could go get out licenses and register/inspect our cars. Yuck.  Not the most fun I've ever had - but now I have a temporary paper license with a very traumatized picture of myself.  😉

Ommagang picture and other new project

Okay, first off here's the reconfigured Ommagang:

I find tailoring size much easier to do top down and while I loved the idea of the asymmetrical pattern I just didn't think I'd wear it.  

So my current on the fly experiment is based on the cuffs for this - the mountain view cardigan: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mountain-view-cardigan.  Mines going to be a pullover with a deep u shaped neck. I'm using Parragon http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/Paragon_Sport_Yarn__D5420300.html in navy and I really like it.  It's got a nice tight twist and a lovely hand.  Right now that project looks like a thnead so I'll snap a pic when it looks more like a sweater. 

New routine

So my family is here and life has sort of settled down. My son and I get on the bus together - he goes to high school and I keep going to Porter square. Except today when I couldn't find my key/badge holder when I got off the bus and nearly had a heart attack.  Haven't felt that awesome since all that airline commuting every weekend. :(

So, in knitting news - I got 90% done with Ommagang and didnt like it so I ripped it all out and reconfigured it. I rearranged the patterns so it's symmetrical and am working it from the top down. I like it much better this way and I'll have a picture soon.  I work on it in the bus as I ride to work (the red line is too crowded most of the time even if I can stand and knit - which I can do but you don't want to elbow people). A few days ago an elderly Asian lady got on the bus, noticed me and came over, sat next to me and started feeling my work and talking to me about it. I'm sure there are many reactions one could have to being manhandled on a bus, but I found it pretty cute. When she was satisfied,she went back to her original seat and smiled at me. 

I'm also working on a free form pattern out of my head based on a cuff pattern I saw on ravelry. I'll give all the details in my next post when I'm not walking through campus and typing.  :)

Here's a baby bunny - we have tons of rabbits all over campus

Moving day

Not really, but our stuff is being loaded on the truck.  I wish I could say it was exciting but it's mostly just exhausting. However, I think the humans are doing better than the cat.  

Getting there ...

Everyone who sees me working on thinks I'm doing this asymmetrical thing by accident. I really like it:

I think it will block nicely. 

Relocation

So, as I mentioned we are in the process of moving to New England. Of course we had to wait for the house to sell (on a side note I suggested we watch The Big Short recently - kind of a don't if you're selling or buying a house I guess, but I didn't think of that until after [typical me] and I really appreciated getting to watch Steve Carrell do some non-comedic work).  So I've been in Cambridge working (I now work at MIT) while the family stayed in Georgia waiting on the sale.  This could have been an expensive, depressing nightmare.  But I have have family willing to let me crash rent free - basically all spring - so I'm trying to be a good guest.

I wash dishes a lot and chip in for groceries.  

My sister feeds me and makes my bed while I'm gone. 

Not sure Jane Austen would consider my efforts sufficient ...

Jane aside, it's been really nice (my sister and I are 12.5 years apart in age) to have people who care how you're doing there at the end of the day and it's meant I've been able to fly home weekends.  They say you don't appreciate what you have till it's gone. Happily, my family isn't gone, they're actually very supportive but I appreciate them, and what a tight unit we are, far more than ever before.  I miss them all the time and have a whole new appreciation for why people don't choose to make big life changes like this. I think I used to think I was very durable but I'm starting to think maybe I was a bit

cavillier? I also forgot how exhausting it is to start a new job.  It's been a while. I've certainly found a new appreciation for living in the present. 

With any luck this will be over soon. Aa I write this I'm flying back to Boston (where we're supposed to get 4-6 inches of snow) so I will publish it when I land.  Here's what I've been knitting on the planes for the last month. While listening to Jane Eyre. 

And here's a shot out my window. 

Maybe I'll post pictures tomorrow if we get snow ....

And again, apologies

No, my hands didn't fall off or get caught in a thresher, it's been a busy few months.

Young one made JV soccer, we all ran a half marathon at thanksgiving and we're relocating to NE. 

Squee.  

Perhaps my blogging will be better as I have more use for knitwear?

Anyway, here are some shots of stuff I've done this fall/winter. 

Dark and Stormy

Jacks back cardigan

Favorite Scarf ever

Rachel

A Halloween costume too awesome not to share.  

More soon!

I better wear this thing a lot

So, this my third time with this yarn. No joke, I've been nearly done with entire sweaters twice only to realize it's not working.  This last time I didn't like the pattern on the belt or the way I'd done the yarn carries. But I like using all 4 balls interleaved because it cuts out pooling. This picture doesn't do the colorway justice but the effect is sort like dragon scales.  We're driving to Savannah and back today for soccer. Ouch but maybe some good knitting time.  

All those symbols on yarn labels

So at knitting today we started wondering about symbols on labels.  So I found this 

http://lawsofknitting.com/yarn-care-symbols/. 

Enjoy!

Ripping out, big time

My. Tabor Hawthorne. I love this yarn, but even within a dyelot you can get substantial variation.  This bit me on the butt when I used this yarn for Light Trails - I was literally 4 rows from finishing, loved the shape, but so stripy and wrong.  Didn't do justice to the yarn.  See?

Ripped it out. 

This time I'm using all four balls at once to avoid striping and birthmarks.  The pattern construction is simpler too - well, lots of short rows around the neck - so it's easier to manage change gong balls each row. 

Other WIPs

I'm not sure if I'm happy with this one http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/moroccan-nights Moroccan Nights.  To be clear, I think the pattern is great but I've started it with some KP Gallelio and I'm not sure I love the two together.  

Then again, I got interrupted on this one so maybe it's just that that's putting me off?  Don't mind those heinous jammy pants ....

Linen featherweight

Again, it's been a while!

I've done a couple things I really like this summer - one of which Featherweight in KP Lindy Chain. I'll start with this:

This pattern in this yarn is AWESOME. The yarn is quite forgiving of machine washing and drying and the drape and fit are fantastic. If you’re tall, or have concerns about the linen growing during the day as you wear it, you could always do a crochet chain reinforce down the sleeves and at the side seams - the Yarn Harlot has a nice post about it here http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2008/02/24/hooking....
I’ve had some requests for the lace pattern on Ravelry, and here’s the chart and instructions http://freeknitstitches.com/pattern.php?num=64&menu=3 - I did 3 repeats on the body, 4 on the sleeves and for the neck I cast on for one side and did 18 repeats, then picked up the same number of stitches along the cast on edge and knit another 18 repeats going the other direction (gives you the nice detail at the nape of the neck) and mattress stitched (http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring04/mattress.html) this “scarf” onto the front of the cardigan.

After 4 washings and dryings the yarn and at term combo can be washed and dried without loss of shape or stitch definition. I’d recommend this yarn for this pattern.  It was a nice summer knit - not to hot have on your lap and portable. But there's more ...

Those better pictures ....

Thanks to Amy, a work/knitting friend who takes great photos and gets all the credit for discovering these stairs as a shoot location. 

I also gave the green sparkly scarf to Kendra today and she promised to let me take pictures of it on, so those will come later. 

Well that was awful

5 mile run

Sorry it's been so long!

Soccer, finishing 8th grade, work, trying to not live in a pit of a house, these things really eat up your time.  

So, I've been doing my usual this spring - reknitting patterns I like. I've redone Dark and Stormy (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dark-and-stormy) in Mewsic Brick House (http://www.spinnery.com/shop/products.php?cat=47) for me (yeah, finished that just as the 80 degree weather hit ATL, go me), did another Age of Brass and Steam (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-age-of-brass-and-steam-kerchief) green beaded scarf for a colleague at work, a pair of fingerless mitts (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sleekit-mitts) for another work colleague and did another Funky Grampa (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/funky-grandpa) - in greens this time.  I'm attaching some pictures here, but should have better ones next week. 

I've also started doing Featherweight (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/featherweight-cardigan) in Lindy Chain, we'll see how that turns out. Sometimes wool patterns don't work with plant fibers if they're too fitted. I had original pegged the Lindy Chain (http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/Lindy_Chain___D5420254.html) for a pattern called Simply Flattering, but I think I'll use some Hawthorne (http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/Hawthorne_Fingering_Multi_Yarn__D5420251.html)for that since the pattern is so fitted and I'm not sure the linen would have enough give. 

Promising to post more regularly!

Ravello pictures

Had both a cold day and an available coworker willing to waste a couple minutes with me. Sorry about all the wrinkles!