Lily Magnolia

I started knitting Lily Magnolia as part of a KAL in Agnes Kutas' Ravelry group right when the pattern was released. In fact I preordered the pattern. For some reason I just couldn't finish it before the "deadline" for the KAL... But I finally finished and pulled off the blocking pins this afternoon.

I'm pretty happy with how it came out, even if I had a couple bloopers in the second repeat of the body chart. Too bad it's too hot to wear it today!

I had a lot of trouble getting the 1st stitch pattern to show the embossed definition that can be seen on the pattern page and most people's projects. Purl Bee commented on the pattern on March 17 to add that some people are having trouble getting the raised pattern when they k1below into a purl stitch, and posted an alternate for the odd rows. For rows 1,3,5,7 K2, p across, k last st, for rows 9,11,13,15 k1, p across. It really helped me, my last two photos are of the swatch with the original pattern and the modified pattern. The original pattern just looks flat and loose. The inch or so (one pattern repeat) at the end of the swatch pictured is k1b into a purl, the two pattern repeats closest to the needle are k1b into a knit.

Harbor Birthday

For my birthday, Jack got us tickets to the live Boston performance of Welcome to Nightvale - Librarians. I highly recommend Welcome to Nightvale if you are looking for a podcast to add a little existential dread to your life.  The show was entertaining, especially the opening/musical act/weather. I remembered him from an older episode of the podcast as someone I meant to look up, but never remembered. Jack got me the tour poster! 

We stayed over in Boston, and at the last second of packing I threw Jared Flood's Hemlock Ring pattern and a ball of Cascade Eco Wool into my tote bag. When I couldn't sleep in on Saturday morning, I watched the sun rise while the planes took off across the water. 

It was a great way to cast on and fall in love with the first 20 rows (with copious water and coffee to counteract Friday's bottle of Prosecco). After a truly impressive brunch buffet at the hotel, we picked up a cake from Flour and headed down to Weymouth to visit my parents and sisters.

The Eco Wool skein was half used up in an ugly sweater, and when we got home after spending most of Saturday in Weymouth, I frogged the crap out of that thing. It was cathartic to empty out the space in my yarn drawer, and make room to knit something much lovelier.

I've also been working away on the "Geek Along" over at Ravelry, put together by Lattes and Llamas. This is a great afghan project where the group moderators post one double-knitting chart per week, with the intention of making a 48 square afghan (or 24, or 16, for smaller blankets). The subjects of the squares are assorted geek idolatry, (Zelda, Battlestar, TMNT, to name a few) hence the name. They are encouraging people to auction or sell the finished article off with the proceeds to benefit the Child's Play charity, but I have a feeling a lot of people will be keeping them for themselves. 

Gore Place Festival 2013

Jack and I went to the Gore Place Sheepshearing Festival today. Of course, I forgot my camera after frantically ransacking the house to find a bag specifically to make it easier to bring said camera. It was a beautiful day for it, very sunny and pleasant. It was mad crazy busy, too, we had to park about a quarter mile away, and wait in line.

The Morris Dancers were out in full force around the May pole. All the flowering trees and johnny jump-ups everywhere made it obvious that spring is here, so glad to be on this side of the vernal equinox, and having the weather start to feel like spring!

Also, plenty of lovely fiber to be found. I picked up some merino/silk roving, some lovely laceweight and a poly drive band for my ancient Ashford Trad from Lucy at Mind's Eye Yarns. When we got home, I checked out her blog and was sad to see that her shop in Porter Square is closing soon unless a suitable new owner is found. I encourage Boston people to visit while you still can!

I enlisted Jack to help me cut the drive band and melt it together. Took us a couple tries, so it's a good thing I listened to Lucy and cut it a little longer than I needed. It is much nicer and less slippy than the old cotton cord that came with her. It's anyone's guess how old it was, but I think the wheel is 70s era and was mostly a decoration piece for the previous owner, so it could have been original. At any rate is was fraying to pieces, and after replacing it, she's like a new wheel.

The roving seems to fall apart really easily, probably because of the high silk content, but it is very smooth and shiny on the bobbin. Goes fast with the new drive band! I don't have anything in mind for it yet, but we'll see how it looks after it's plied. I'm a novice enough spinner that I don't feel too confident in trying to spin to hit a certain WPI range target... I'll just see what it wants to be! The photo doesn't really capture how green and pink this really is.


Hopefully I'll find a nice pattern to start with this once it's spun up! Seems like it won't be too hot for spring/early summer knitting.

The Knit Generation

Jack and I have been systematically watching Star Trek: The Next Generation for a couple months now whenever we are  not doing anything else, we finished just now. I've also been working on a new shawl. When we started, it looked like this:

In the middle of the second to last episode, I finished knitting Cavallo Point. Now it's blocking in the middle of the living room floor and we're starting on DS:9. 

I have to say, it's a rude adjustment. I miss Picard.

I'll need to find a new project. I'm halfway through a pair of Hermione Socks, and have a sleeve to do on an abandoned raglan... And I have half of a pair of Mushroom Pulse Warmers waiting for me to finish them. 

But still, something a little bigger would be nice for Christmas break. Any suggestions?