Life's a Stitch

That's my excuse for lack of blogging. Limited internet and no camera cable for the last five days at a Washington weekend with wonderful women. Those would be my good friend, Lynn, her daughter whom I've known since she was three, but all grown up now, and of course, Blogless Marsha. Can't say enough about this group or the weekend, so I'll limit it to the best and worst, just like I used to ask my kids when they came home from camp. 

What was the worst part?

Fruitless knitting. Frogged projects x 2. That darned Jojoland yarn. 

What was the best part? Three of us at a flea market:

That's nine Mikasa place settings, plus three serving pieces, to replace some twenty year old Corelle. Don't let anyone tell you Corelle doesn't break. On ceramic tile floors, in particular, it breaks. Into a million swordlike shards of Corning glass. 

They were looking out for me, my friends, knowing I was in the market for dishes.

"Li, Li there are Mikasa dishes over there," they herd me away from my hunt for Scottie dog items. 

"How much are they?" one asks the vendor.

"Five dollars," says the lady.

"She'll take them!" 

That's what friends are for. 

 

Completing the Cresent (sic) Moon Shawl, from the Japanese pattern book, Easy Crochet, Complete in Three Days, I realized a cultural difference. The workday in Japan is longer than the US workday, which is longer than the Canadian workday. Three days? Hmmmm. It reminded me of the time I sewed, for my then five-year-old, a two hour pattern. It took twelve hours and I never did get the button holes in. That being said, this one really took about a week of part time work.

More like a scarf than a shawl, this is an amazing pattern. Although the book is written in Japanese, the charting is perfectly clear. And if you need help translating the chart, this website is the best. Here is it with that ubiquitous shawl pin:

Pattern: Cresent Moon Shawl from Easy Crochet, Complete in Three Days

Yarn: Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn, colourway 258, 185 grams (just under two skeins). 

Hooks: Scarf – 4.0mm Edging: 3.0mm

Modifications: Due to Noro's thick and thin qualities, I adjusted the puff stitches according to yarn thickness, anywhere from three to five pull-throughs of the yarn. 

Thoughts: Using two skeins of yarn, why are there so many ends to weave in? Ah yes, Noro-knots with abrupt colour changes. Really, there was only one in this project but, despite swearing I wouldn't give in, I was picky about some of the colour placement. 

This is one of those projects that would have made me cross over to the world of crochet. If you are thinking about it – do it. 

It is as beautiful in a solid colour as in a self striping yarn and there will be more in my future. My Rainbow Moon is complete, how about a Cashmere Moon or a Harmony Moon?

I remember my father watching that on TV when I was a kid. I can still sing the jingle. This past week that was, wasn't as eventful as a year ago when C had his emergency open heart surgery. All I can say is, don't travel without health insurance. Without it, it would have been $116,000 of mortgage. 

This past week was far less eventful.

The rainforest lived up to its name:

That's one of the "Lions,'" two mountains that stand guard over Vancouver, peeking through the clouds.

This is Gracee looking like she's suffering from a serious case of Seasonal Affective Disorder:

The cowls made it to Calgary in time for winter:

The yarn diet was broken:

For good reason, half price Noro plus this pattern book:

Japanese patterns are so clearly charted, you don't need to know the language.

That was the week that was.  

 

 

 

Well, maybe not just knitting, but anything to do with yarn. I've been concentrating on finishing up started knitting projects before I start another one. I'll still sneak in a woven scarf and crocheted in-the-purse projects now and then. Here's the first FO:

The Story:

There's always a story. When I met my husband, some thirty years ago, I was working in a methadone and public health clinic. To de-stress I knit my first sweater, blogged about here. I loved that sweater, created from Wintuk acrylic and probably, to this day, moldering away in a landfill somewhere. The other thing I did to de-stress was take a stained glass class. I married the teacher, but that's another story. 

I always wanted to knit that sweater again, but could never find the pattern, which I think was published in ??? Oh I can't remember the magazine's name, the one that was like Women's Day. I'm dating myself with with the memory lapse and the name of the magazine. Well one day, Blogless Marsha and I were in Apple Yarns and voila! There on display was an updated version of my shawl collared sweater. A free Knitty pattern, YES.  And it required super bulky yarn that I had in my stash. Double YES. 

The details

Pattern: Emerald by Amy Swensen

Yarn: Marks and Kattens Iceland (also manufactured as Iceland but in another brand I also can't remember. The yarn appears to have snow sprinkled all over. (Oh! I just remembered the magazine with the original pattern – Family Circle). I used 14.5 skeins for a size medium. That would be 942.5 yards of yarn. It made an incredibly light in weight, lofty sweater.

Needles: 7.5 mm, which would equal 10.75 US

Modifications: Omitted the y/o's on either side of the cabled on sleeve detail:

The Y/O's really looked silly with bulky yarn. Other mods included making it a little longer, the button bands a little wider and adding two more buttons (using the one-row buttonhole technique) as I didn't like the peek-a-boo belly look in some of the Ravelry photos. In my photo, I used one of C's shawl pins as he hasn't yet gotten around to making the buttons. 

Thoughts: This is a really well written, deceptively easy pattern. The construction is brilliant – it's done bottom up in one piece, with the exception of the shawl collar which is picked up at the end. The only sewing/grafting required is for seven stitches under the armpits. I love everything about this project, it gets full marks for technical merit and execution. It is a more fitted version than my first version and doesn't require a belt. 

OK, I know you won't let me get by without the modeling shot, so here it is, with my brand new fashion statement glasses:

I just forfeited all those "where's the modeling shot" comments.

Oh! I remembered the other yarn label for Iceland. It's Online Linie 97 Iceland. I lied. Didn't really remember it. That's what Ravelry is for.

Never do I remember a November like this in BC. Sunny and warm and leaves coloured like those from back east. 

But on the yarn front, it's springtime:

Project: Woven scarf (Kromski Harp rigid heddle loom, 7.5 epi, 72 ends)

Yarn, warp and weft: Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend colourway 113 (Wildflowers) and Classic Elite Premiere, pima cotton and tencel, colour #5212 (yellow)

Thoughts: Not quite as soft and drapey as the Malabrigo silk blend I've woven with, but not bad. What a difference 30% more silk makes.

It will brighten my winter. 

 

After many weeks of limited knitting, my brown Free and Easy Pie Wedge Shawl #3, to go with my brown every day Goretex rain jacket, is finished. Remember my first one?

Goretex is a requirement here. After all, I live in a rainforest.

Where the trees drip with moss:

And the fungi flourish:

A rainforest. It sounds more romantic than it is. 

What is it about this pattern that make me want to start another one right away? 

Details:

Pattern: Free and Easy Pie Wedge Shawl (Lorna's Laces)

Yarn: Beyond Basic Knits hand dyed lace weight silk and merino (Zephyr type yarn), about 800 yards. Colourway: Coffee Bean

Needles: US#6

Thoughts: Light as a feather, can be scrunched into a scarf or worn as a shawl. Easy and relaxing with a satisfying finish. Can't wait to start another. Maybe in blue to match my Goretex trail runners.

Remember the cowl hoodie from a few posts back? Thought the score was three down, zero to go, until my son saw them and put in his order. Happy to do it, they're quick, easy, and low maintenance, crocheted with Red Heart Soft Touch.

Did each one in a different stitch to keep it interesting. Here is the one I made while on vacation in barcode stripes:

The recipient requested hot pink and black stripes. I used our cabin key card for reference. Now that's a souvenir.

Everyone has their rant. Some longer than others. Popular blog rant themes include teachers, spouses, political figures, and family members. I do my best to stay away from too much negativity but, I too, have my favourite rant – customer service.

Long story short: went to buy two chairs at Macy's and asked about the delivery charge.

"$80."

"Forget it," I say, "we have a truck and can pick it up."

"$25."

"What? No, we want to pick it up."

"Yes, that's the pick up fee, we have to get it here from the warehouse."

"How about you sell me the floor model that's already here."

"Can't do that."

So, if you want to buy furniture at Macy's furniture store, there is a charge to buy anything, regardless of pickup or delivery. Seems like the price should be adjusted to include the ability to take it away from the store without paying for the priviledge. It would feel better that way.

So we left Macy's and went to a nearby scratch and dent store and bought the same chairs with a couple of minor dings. We saved over a hundred bucks and it included the ability to take them with us.

End of rant.

 

All of you, of course are my favourites, for your good wishes for recovery. Eight days later the swelling and bruising is down by a half. The right wrist is the worst in terms of pain, hence the lack of knitting photos, plus the stitches are infected. What are you going to do? The answer to that rhetorical question (remember those from grade 9 English?) is, hopefully stick around for my favourite vacation photos, not necessarily in order.

Favourite vacation photo #1:

The wild chickens of Kauai:

Many theories surround these guys – from escapees during extreme storms to descendants from Captain Cook's time. They greet you on the runway at the airport, follow you into the car rental place and beg popcorn on the beach. I love my birds and chickens and roosters count. 

Don't let the chickens hear: they say there's a recipe for them. Place three rocks in a pot, add veggies and dressed chicken. Cook until the rocks are tender, throw out the chicken and enjoy the soup. 

Favourite photo #2:

Pearl Harbor – the USS Arizona Memorial:

A sacred and reverent place. Can't describe the feeling. 

Favourite photo #3:

 

The flowers of Hawaii – spectacular, even in a parking lot.

Favourite photo #4

Actually two photos, the Pacific and Atlantic ( you've seen this one before) Oceans, 1250 miles at sea:

 

Why was expecting them to look totally different? 

It takes two and a half days at a relaxing pace to get to 1250 miles at sea, and here, at "the point of no return," two and a half days to get to land. At this point of my life, it's my favourite vacation spot, no matter what the ocean. Does that mean I'm at the point of no return lifewise? I guess we all are. 

Not my favourite photo, but a beautiful spot. The scene of the crime:

Taken a minute or two before my fall onto one or two of those lava rocks, which are sharp as broken glass. There is actually a nice little sandy trail between them. Still can't figure out exactly what happened.    

A few more to come.

Will be home very soon from our now dubbed "bruise cruise." I had good intentions of posting from our vacation which included my favorite spot, 1250 miles at sea in the middle of nowhere. But then I hit Hawaii. Literally. Hiking in Hana, face, shoulder, hands, wrists, knee and ankles met a bed of lava rock up close and personal. Don't know how that was even physically possible. Luckily little Hana had an ER and a couple of stitches and a good scrubbing later we were back on the famous Road to Hana.
Just keeping up with family tradition. Right Jane, Elena and Ellen? All three of us having made contact with the ground in recent times.
Will catch up soon.