summer knitting update

Goal: finish 6 in-progress knits before school starts

Here's what I found in my project bags:

folded sweater top
Looks like I started the sleeves, but didn't get very far. After the sleeves are knit, they are joined with the body (this is a bottom-up project).

bonney top
I think I just need to bind off and seam shoulders.

entangled vines cardigan
This one is washed and blocked, just needs buttons.

twigs & willows cardigan
I decided that I need to restart sleeves with correct measurements. I'm worried that they are going to be too tight, as is. It's kind of hard to tell, since they will be seamed. But my gut says to reassess, so I'm going to reassess. I would hate to finish this and not be able to wear it.

rosencrantz
This was a quick knit. I have the front & back complete, just need to seam it, and do a little neck and sleeve edging.

force awakens hat 

I got stuck when I needed to transfer from circulars to double-points, since I didn't have the correct size on hand. I've since purchased the correct needles. And now it's summer, so this has been on the back burner. I'd love to finish in time for fall gifting (this is going to my dear cousin Valerie who lives overseas now).

color affection shawl
This one is off the needles but needs to be blocked.

cypress top - frogged

I gave up. I know this is a gorgeous knit, as I've seen a sample, but I just don't have the patience. I'll find something else to do with the pretty yarn.

Some socks that are almost finished:

Yep, these are my very first socks. This is why I now knit two-at-a-time!

L-to-R: So Long 2016, Monuments & Blossoms, Dark Side stripes

Still in the queue:

• baable hat
• wethersfield cardigan 
• lambing mitts 
• very close talking hat
• and many more from the Spring 2017 Puget Sound LYS Tour!

Knit Goals for 2017

I'm going to take my friend Laura's advice about knitting, which is: knit whatever I want during the school year (includes starting as many projects as I'd like) and use the summer to focus on finishing knits. I think it's great advice, so that's what I'm going to do. I have enough sock yarn stashed that I can attempt to knit a pair each month. I've been thinking of alternating my variegated with solid yarn, so that I can do a simple vanilla pair one month, and a pattern the next. But I'm not going to hold myself to that. If I want to knit vanilla socks for the rest of this school year, that's fine too.

These are the knits that are either currently on the needles, or close to starting soon:

• folded sweater top
• bonney top (need to bind off and seam shoulders)
• color affection shawl
• cypress top
• entangled vines cardigan (washed and blocked - needs buttons)
• twigs & willows cardigan (need to restart sleeves with correct measurements)
• lambing mitts - have yarn, not started
• very close talking hat - ordered yarn, not started
• force awakens hat - have yarn, not started
• baable hat - have yarn, not started

By the end of the summer break, I hope to have at least 6 of those knits finished.

So, to sum up, my goals are:

1. knit 12 pairs of socks in 2017
2. finish at least 6 in-progress knits during the summer break

lately...

Sunrise on my way to work (safely stopped at a stop-sign).

My Wood Hollow Vest washed and blocked.

More sunrise, although a different day. The sky has been amazing this week.

What's New?
We adopted a cat this weekend! He's long and lanky and sweet. Athena does not know what to think about him yet. We've installed 3 baby gates, one on top of the other, in order to create a see-through barrier. That way they (and by "they" I really mean Athena) can stare at each other without fear of touching. I think he is completely ready to bond with her, but she is definitely not too sure about the whole situation.

Currently Reading
So many library books checked out to me right now, but so little time to read!

• Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat - I am sharing bits and pieces of this story with my Advisory class. Our school mascot is the wolf, and they have enjoyed hearing about the wolves.
• Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman - This book is beautiful! I've put it on a possible present list for my niece and nephews.
• Corvus: a Life with Birds by Esther Woolfson - This is currently my before bed book. This author often quotes and references the next book on my list, to no one's surprise.
• Mind of the Raven by Bernd Heinrich - I've put this down for now in favor of Corvus.
• Confession of a Buddhist Atheist by Stephen Batchelor - I haven't started this one yet, but I intended it to be a bus read.

On (& off) the Needles
You can see the current state of my Wood Hollow Vest in the picture above. It's been washed and blocked, ready for seaming. After seaming, it'll get a neck band and arm bands. Almost there...

My bus knit is the Bonny top from Tin Can Knits. It's 11 inches of stockinette stitch before the top pattern gets interesting. I'm about 3 inches in right now.

I've also started Zuzu's Petals, which is a cowl, using a beautiful fall-inspired Malabrigo.

And last but not least... I started a sweater pattern for my youngest nephew Xander awhile back, but I found I wasn't loving the way it was turning out. After visiting the Tin Can Knits booth at Knit City this past weekend, I decided to frog the sweater and knit the Gramps pattern instead.

Looking Forward To

1. giving new kitty a name

project 52: week 45

What is Project 52? It's a little like Project 365, but instead of the goal of posting a photo each day, I'll post a photo or two each week along with a short update. Really I just need a little push to post something every week. Since I like to keep this space positive, posting every week forces me to look back and find something shiny to talk about (ten points if you get that reference). Some weeks that's a piece of cake. Other weeks it's more of a challenge, and those weeks give this task true meaning.

What's New?
This week was filled with kitty-related stress, and yarn. We took that adorable cat to get a lump biopsied only to discover that it's cancerous. So now we are faced with figuring out next steps. Our kitties are only 5 years old so we never imagined dealing with cancer so soon. The bright side is that right now the tumor is not affecting her overall health at all. She's happy and (relatively) healthy.

The yarn part of my week involved a long-overdue trip to Tolt Yarn and Wool in Carnation, WA and Quintessential Knits in Duvall, WA. I've heard such good things about Tolt, specifically, but hadn't made it out there to check it out. I came away with yarn for two projects: Tin Can Knits' Bonny top in Quince & Co Piper yarn, and Zuzu's Petals in Malabrigo Sock.

Currently Reading

• The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell - This book is long! I'm reading it on my Kindle so I didn't realize just how long it is. Plus, it's weird, which makes reading a little slower. There are many times I have to slow done so that I can process what the heck I just read. Body-jumping, immortality, and strange interconnections... all of that amidst a story that jumps through time and narrators sometimes jarringly. But overall I enjoy the read.

On the Needles
Still plugging away at my Earth & Sky shawl. I've put the Wood Hollow Vest aside for a bit, but I imagine I'll pick it up again before our road trip so that I can at least finish the front.

Looking Forward To

1. Our road trip!
2. Another CSA box
3. Getting my hands dirty with gardening

on the needles

Earth & Sky

Pattern: Earth & Sky by Stephen West
Yarn: Madeline Tosh Pashmina in worn denim, victorian gothic, astrid grey
Notes: This is my summer splurge knit. I seem to average three skeins of Tosh each year. Last year they ended up as three separate mini shawls. This year, I'm going big.

Wood Hollow Vest

Pattern: Wood Hollow Vest by Kirsten Kapur
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in celery heather
Notes: I frogged my tea leaves sweater, since it never really fit well, and am using the yarn to make this vest. I've started this project three times. Once as written, the second time attempting to knit it in the round, and this third time (third time's the charm?) again as written. I really want to be able to wear this vest this autumn, which is my motivation to knit it up so quickly.

Hue Shift Afghan

Pattern: Hue Shift Afghan by Kerin Dimeler-Laurence
Yarn: Knit Picks Brava Sport (purchased as a kit)
Notes: I started this afghan in 2013 (yikes!) and am finally started the third block. Once all four blocks are complete, they are sewn together and the edge stitches are picked up in order to knit a border. This is a really good TV knit, since it's all knit stitches, the center decrease is easy, and the pattern is repetitive.

project 52: week 42

What is Project 52? It's a little like Project 365, but instead of the goal of posting a photo each day, I'll post a photo or two each week along with a short update. Really I just need a little push to post something every week. Since I like to keep this space positive, posting every week forces me to look back and find something shiny to talk about (ten points if you get that reference). Some weeks that's a piece of cake. Other weeks it's more of a challenge, and those weeks give this task true meaning.

What's New?
It's hot in Seattle. Really, really hot. Well, not as hot as it gets in the mid-west or the east coast, but out here we don't really believe in air conditioners. Instead, our local libraries and community centers (and movie theaters and malls) operate as cooling centers. My basically-basement apartment has been hovering at 70 degrees no matter what I do (it's been 80-90 degrees outside). And that's without any baking and pretty much minimal cooking. Do you know how hard it is for me to give up baking and cooking? Pretty darn hard. But I just can't justify all the extra heat it produces in my tiny apartment. I have kale from my CSA share that is begging to be turned into kale chips, but sadly I cannot do it.

Instead, I made refrigerator kohlrabi pickles, sun tea that was promptly mixed with lemonade concentrate (from a canning adventure I had back in cold April), and one small batch of strawberry balsamic jam.

Currently Reading

• The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
• Grounded by Megan Morrison

On the Needles
This week I started my Wood Hollow Vest again, for the third time. I initially started it last August, exactly as the pattern was written. I got into a groove and enjoyed all the cables, but I found some mistakes I made early on. I knit up about 6 inches before deciding to start over. The second start was last September. I restarted in order to knit it in the round. Big mistake. See, the cable pattern was easy to memorize knit flat, but in the round my brain just couldn't get a handle on it. So I made even more mistakes than I had the first time. And I wasn't happy with it at all. So I set it aside and knit other things. Fast forward to almost a year later, and I've ripped it out again in order to start over. This time I'm knitting it flat again like the pattern calls for, and I'm going slower knowing where I'll likely make mistakes.

I've made it through three full pattern repeats and I love these cables!

Looking Forward To

1. helping dear friends move into their first house
2. stitch & bitch
3. happy hour with my old teaching buddy
4. camping at Penrose with friends

project 52: week 11

What is Project 52? It's a little like Project 365, but instead of the goal of posting a photo each day, I'll post a photo or two each week along with a short update. Really I just need a little push to post something every week. Since I like to keep this space positive, posting every week forces me to look back and find something shiny to talk about (ten points if you get that reference). Some weeks that's a piece of cake. Other weeks it's more of a challenge, and those weeks give this task true meaning.

What's New?
This past week we geared up for student conferences at the same time we geared down for Thanksgiving break. It's an odd feeling - of being pulled and pushed at the same time. Saturday morning I arrived at school for conferences just as the sun was rising, but there were so many clouds it was hard to tell. I decided to walk around Green Lake since I was so early, and during my walk I was gradually able to see more as the light changed. There were large groups of mallards rooting around the grass, noisy crows in the trees, and more humans than I expected that early on a Saturday. I saw quite a few fisherman (including one who had just caught a fish), large groups of joggers that looked like they were part of a Meetup, and quite a few solitary walkers.

Currently Reading
Still working my way through Anne Rice's The Witching Hour, and still loving it.

On the Needles
I finished a hat for my niece! Now I only have three more to go. A coworker of mine gave me some yarn she no longer wanted (something about cleaning out her stash... probably a good thing for most knitters to do occasionally), and in those bags of yarn I've found excellent choices for hats. I may get away with knitting all four hats without a visit to the yarn store. Pretty frugal, environmental, and exciting if you ask me.

Looking Forward To

1. holiday cooking & baking

project 52: week 9

What is Project 52? It's a little like Project 365, but instead of the goal of posting a photo each day, I'll post a photo or two each week along with a short update. Really I just need a little push to post something every week. Since I like to keep this space positive, posting every week forces me to look back and find something shiny to talk about (ten points if you get that reference). Some weeks that's a piece of cake. Other weeks it's more of a challenge, and those weeks give this task true meaning.

Beautiful and cold Friday. There were no pictures on Thursday, because weather.

What's New?
I made it back from outdoor school in one piece. We had some pretty intense weather this trip. High winds, rain falling sideways, white caps on the lake, falling trees and branches in the forest, closed highway (due to falling trees). And then Friday, our departure day, was a cold but beautiful sunny day.

Currently Reading
Anne Rice has me in her spell again. I've pretty much abandoned my other reads (although I know I'll pick them up again later). There is something about the way she writes that just sucks me in completely.

• The Witching Hour by Anne Rice
• The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk

• Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds by Lyanda Lynn Haupt

On the Needles
I started and finished another Hurricane Hat while at outdoor school this week, using some of my leftover green Cascade 220. This one was another practice hat in anticipation of holiday knitting. I hope to find out colors and sizes soon for the little people in my life. Otherwise they'll get my best guess.

I also started some mason jar cozies. Some will be for me, and some for gifting. I think a mason jar, a cozy, and a cuppow would make a great gift.

Looking Forward To

1. using up some of the eleventy-billion apples I have in storage (I'm thinking of apple pie filling, apple crisp, and maybe some more applesauce)

catch up

one more photo of Mom's gloves before they went into the mail

What's New?

I finally managed to get thank-you cards in the mail (one month late, I know), and package up mom's new gloves. I also found a birthday card I bought for my dad a few months ago (his birthday was at the end of December). I decided to send it anyway in the hopes that it'll bring a smile to his face.

In other news, I strongly feel that dishes and laundry are having babies without my consent (not together - a dish/laundry hybrid would be terrifying!). Every time I feel like I'm caught up with either dishes or laundry I turn around and find more. This is one of those problems that I used to think everyone else in the world had solved, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I may not be alone in this.

Currently Reading

• A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin - I am very much enjoying re-reading this book. I feel like I appreciate the details so much more the second time around.

On the Needles
My honey cowl is indeed turning out to be the perfect bus knit - simple, easy to remember pattern, and easy to start and stop suddenly. I also picked up my blanket project and started the second quarter panel.

Looking Forward To:

1. going skiing with students as a chaperone for the ski bus program

fresh start

What's New?

This past week was back to work for both of us. It was very hard to adjust to 5am wake-up again, but we managed. It helps to have breakfasts and lunches ready the night before, and the coffee maker full of water and grounds (thanks Mom for the mini Keurig machine!). We've fallen into a routine where breakfast is either bagel and egg sandwiches or breakfast muffins and hard-boiled eggs. This week was the latter, so the evening prep consisted of me peeling two eggs the night before so my tired brain and fumbling fingers didn't have to attempt that task at 5am.

I've also resumed my monthly pen-pal duties. Christmas 2012 I sewed a letter-writing pouch for my nephew and filled it with pre-stamped and pre-addressed envelopes and "special" paper. Daniel and I have been pen-pals ever since. In the fall I kept forgetting when it was my turn, so I've added a calendar reminder to help me out. I also pre-addressed and stamped some postcards so they are ready to go.

Currently Reading

• A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin (re-reading on my Kindle and enjoying the fact that I can highlight and add notes - I'm still trying to figure out some of the prophecies from the House of the Undying)

On the Needles

I've almost finished the first glove for Mom. I'm learning how to add a picot edge while knitting in the round, so it's slower going than most glove patterns. But it's always good to learn a new knitting skill.

I bought a blanket kit in November and I've just finished the first quarter panel. I think I'll set that project aside for a bit while I finish Mom's gloves and start my honey cowl.

Looking Forward To:

1. going on a tour of the temporary building my school will move into this summer for the next two years while our new-new building is finished

potstickers & teaching

What's New?
While I've been away from this space, I've been experimenting with making dumplings. I started with Smitten Kitchen's Spring Vegetable Potstickers and I've branched out to more traditional pork & cabbage stuffed wontons. I like how quickly they come together, and how quickly they cook. It's made weeknight meals so much easier.

The other news is that school is almost out! Next week is a 4-day week, with Thursday being the last day of school. I know I say this all the time, but I really don't know where April and May went. I swear March was just a few days ago. Part of that, I know, is that I've had a student-teacher the past couple months. The other part of that is how busy life gets in the Spring, especially when you're a teacher.

Currently Reading

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Why is Milk White? & 200 Other Curious Chemistry Questions by Alexa Coelho & Simon Field

On the Needles
I started a green Leaflet cardigan with my new birthday yarn (Thanks Marya & Alex!). Even though I try to do smaller projects, I just love knitting cardigans. I'm using Berroco Ultra Alpaca Tonal yarn, which is not single-ply (I'm swearing off single-ply yarn - it just doesn't show stitches as well). The Leaflet pattern is another by Cecily Glowik MacDonald, who is quickly becoming my favorite cardigan designer.

Looking Forward To

1. finishing up this school year
2. cleaning and organizing my classroom for next year

better late...

What's New?

I've decided to take on a student-teacher for the spring quarter. This will be my first time as a mentor teacher in my seven years of teaching, and I hope I do a good job. One thing that has kept me very busy this week, on top of my already busy schedule, has been cleaning and re-arranging. I've worked very hard to make my classroom a more inviting space for both my students and my student-teacher. I cleaned up a few "junk piles" and made room for another teacher desk. I swapped out an awkward table for a better model that now holds my document camera and laptop. I think my room looks pretty awesome now. I didn't take many before pictures, so you'll have to settle for these.

Before:

After: 

Currently Reading

• The American Way of Eating: Undercover at Walmart, Applebee's, Farm Fields and the Dinner Table by Tracie McMillan

On the Needles
My striped Idlewood sweater is now getting sleeves! The body is off the needles, I've tried it on, and I'm working hard on the sleeves. I think I'll have enough yarn to do full-length sleeves, but we'll see.

Looking Forward To

1. the beginning of Spring
2. Joe's new job

What are you looking forward to?

week two

What's New?
I started seeds this week! I made seed pots out of newspaper for the first time, which was much easier than I had previously thought. I re-purposed an old under-bed storage bin and used strips of cardboard to keep the newspaper pots upright. My bin ended up holding 8 rows of 6, so I've got quite a few starts. Now I just need to keep the cats away until they are hardy enough to be transplanted outside. Oh, and clean out the raised beds (something I should have done last autumn, and I'm now kicking myself).

My nephew and I have become pen-pals. He's 5, lives across the country, and is a great reader and writer. He also loves checking the mail. So I've decided that in 2013 I'm sending him something in the mail once a month. In January I attempted to send him a box of books from an online retailer, but the box got lost in the mail. In February he got a Valentine. Now that it's March I'm sending him the Bob Books I tried to send him in January, and hopefully some St. Patrick's Day goodies, although I've been rather disappointed in the selection this year.

Currently Reading

• Pilgrim on the Great Bird Continent by Lyanda Lynn Haupt (local West Seattle author!)
• The American Way of Eating by Tracie McMillan

On the Needles
Still working on my purple and grey striped Idlewood sweater. I'm currently working on the bottom ribbed hem. When that's finished it's time for sleeves, although I'm a little worried I'll run out of purple for the sleeves. Maybe they will be solid grey? We'll see. I hope to be finished by next week.

Looking Forward To

1. bridesmaid dress shopping with friends
2. meeting a prospective student-teacher

What's new in your life?

fresh start

What’s New?

Well, it's been nearly 4 months since I've posted anything on here, and it's time to get back in the saddle (so to speak). I've realized recently that I'd rather post meaningful things here to help myself document my life than waste time checking social network sites (that shall remain un-named, although you can probably guess). I'd like to quit social networking, but I'm not quite ready. I think that if I'm able to keep up regular posts on here, that will help ease my transition. Who knows? But I'm ready to give it a shot.

I've learned that I need to set realistic, yet smallish, goals for myself, and I need to tell others about them if I hope to accomplish them. So, dear internet, here is my goal for this space: an update of some sort once per week. It doesn't even have to be the same day of the week (although I imagine that might help). It might include pictures (I'd like it to), but that's not a requirement. I used to only post if I had interesting/pretty pictures to share. I haven't been taking many pictures lately (rainy, grey Seattle winter + go to work in the dark and get home in the dark), and I've used that as an excuse to not post anything at all.

Currently Reading

• The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins (a "thinky" book)
• Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers (a YA novel)
• Pilgrim on the Great Bird Continent by Lyanda Lynn Haupt (local West Seattle author)

On the Needles

After finishing both my purple Shalom sweater and my grey Idlewood sweater I found myself with leftover yarn from both projects. Combined, it's enough for another sweater. I made both projects out of the same type of yarn (Cascade Soft Spun), in colors that are both considered "heathered" so I think they'll look nice together. I'm working on a striped Idlewood variation (smaller ribbed yoke, long sleeves) using roughly 4" stripes of each yarn.

Looking Forward To:

1. starting seeds
2. cooking for others

What are you working on right now?

ten things

In the spirit of Soulemama, here are ten things since my last post two months ago:
 1) I've made huge gains in organization at home


 
2) I celebrated another year of marriage with a picnic at the park


 
3) I picked blueberries


 
4) I went camping at Penrose and found treasures at the shore


 
5) I explored a very small town in upstate New York


 
6) I visited family


 
7) I made friends with Dempsey


 
8) I flew in a tiny airplane mere hours before Hurricane Irene hit the mid-Atlantic region


 
9) I smiled when I saw my mountains


 
10) I knit fingerless gloves for a friend


It's good to be back in this space. I hope to be around here more often. I know it's been quite awhile since I've posted, but I'm shocked to realize a full two months have gone by. My, how time flies.

summer knitting

I love knitting outside on my patio this summer. It's 75 degrees here right now, but in the shade that's perfect. Our old apartment did not have an outside space, so I have to keep reminding myself to take advantage of the patio area while the weather is so nice. While I've been outside this evening I have heard birds calling, and watched the neighborhood cats skitter around, chasing bugs, birds and each other. Perfect end to the day.

dino sweater, part 1

This morning I finished the back piece of the dino sweater I'm knitting for my nephew. Probably the easiest piece, but still very exciting to get it off the needles. After knitting a couple sweaters for myself, it's very refreshing how quickly sweaters for little ones knit up.

oh, Seattle summer

Finally got around to cleaning off my front 'porch' area yesterday. Set up our camp chairs and our small outdoor table, swept away as many spiders as I could, and rearranged my potted plants. Today, it rained. But I didn't want that to stop me from enjoying the outdoors. So, I did this:

Great how well those built-in cup holders work for holding yarn skeins.