Twinknit

I’ve been thinking a lot about tradition lately (yep, this is the point when my dissertation and the knitting start to bleed together) — what makes something a tradition, the ways in which we practice traditional arts, and why we continue them when there are other (newer?) things we could be doing. Part of my academic queries into the notion of tradition include deep thought on the topic of transmission. When I learned to knit, I learned from my mom. My mother learned to knit from her mother who, presumably (although I never knew her to ask her), learned from her mother, and so on and so on. As I have perhaps mentioned before, my grandmother was Ukrainian, and so when she learned to knit, and then taught my mother (who then taught me), she learned to knit continental. Since I was ten or so, I have been a continental knitter (a picker, I now understand). When I pick up needles and fiber, I instinctively wrap the yarn over my left index finger. I naturally dip the needle to wrap it with yarn, before pulling the loop through. I know no other way to knit. So when I started doing colorwork a year (or more) ago, I found the decrease in speed that came with throwing one color with my right hand incredibly frustrating.

A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with my friend Rebecca about knitting. Rebecca knits “American” (or “British” or whatever you want to call it when you hold the yarn in your right hand). But what immediately interested me was her technique — Rebecca is not a thrower, at least not in the sense that I have understand the term. She holds her yarn in her right hand exactly the same way I hold mine in the left. In one fluid motion, she wraps the yarn around the needle and continues on. No need to drop the strand of yarn, just to pick it up a minute later; no large, unnecessary hand motions that waste time. I was fascinated. And so, this weekend, we finally found time to sit down for a lesson. Today, I am the proud creator of this:

My first English knit swatch.

Yeah, ok. It’s not the greatest. The tension (especially at the begining and ending of each row) is wack-a-doo. And it took me forever (trying to knit right handed is like trying to turn your brain inside out). But I did it. And I’m getting better. I’m not the first to try switching hands (or styles, as the case may be) after accomplishing decent knitting one way. In fact, there seem to be a rash of people doing it these days. I know that I will never switch over entirely; but I’m glad that I know how to do it now. Two handed color-work, you will no longer kick my ass(k).

Now I just have to learn how to purl…

Happy [belated] New Year to you all.

It’s strange, I’ve been thinking so much about posting lately — constructing posts in my head during the brisk hour-long walk home from school, while in the shower, while making dinner — that I forget I haven’t actually posted them. It’s a shame; I’ve had a lot to say. In the interest of sparing you all, I won’t include a year-in-review. For those who are curious, it looked something like this:

My plans for knitting in 2008 included knitting adult sweaters — you know, the kind made in pieces and them sewn together. Yep. Never done that. But it looks as though that is not in the cards. Two good friends are getting married this summer, and I’ll be knitting wedding shawls for them both. And I’m desperately trying to finish Muir (in denial about the fact that there is no way I’m going to do this by my intended January 25th deadline).

[Sorry for the bluriness. And the cat hair. For the record, I’m two repeats farther than this now]

So I’m unofficially declaring 2008 the year of lace. Why not embrace obligation with open arms?

Speaking of embracing obligation, for the next few months, I’m going to do just that. I am dead set on a May 2008 graduation, and this means some serious dedication to that tiny little thing they call a dissertation. Others are making this promise, and I’m using their strength as inspiration. That said, I do plan to blog more often, and more substatially and thoughtfully. But the knitting will be more paced. I’m going to try and work on one project at a time, not casting on for new things until my long list of UFOs becomes considerably smaller (or at least until I finish the knitting I owe to others!). We’ll see how that goes.

I do have an FO to show you — the last of 2007. But it still needs to be blocked and photographed, so I’ll save that for another time. I hope the new year finds you all healthy and happy!

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind.  To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas!

~ Calvin Coolidge

Merry Christmas, everyone!

I can’t believe I’ve only posted twice in the last month.  It’s a testament, I guess, to how busy things have been.  But now, student portfolios are evaluated, grades are turned in, moving is (almost) completed, and I have arrived safely at my parents home for a week of good food, too much Law & Order, and not enough sleep.

My holiday knitting is frantically unfinished (can something be frantically unfinished?  Because that is what it feels like!).  As I knit away at mittens and other things, I’ve been considering my (ever-growing) WIP list and ways that I can motivate to finish them.  In the spirit of honesty and full-disclosure (the first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have the problem, right?), I have updated my Ravelry notebook.  It now reflects all of my unfinished projects (gulp).  May the new year bring many new FOs (I already have two to show you, but they must wait until after the holiday)!

I leave you with this:

In three consecutive days, I have found the following in the three selected pairs of handknit socks:

Looks like the new year will also bring lots of darning!

*I’m sorry for the miserably cheesy pun.  It’s all the cookies and cake I’ve been eating — brain. dead. need. sugar.

One of my bestest friends is getting married this spring and I offered to knit her a wedding shawl.  I’m in search of a pattern.

I’ve dug around a little on ravelry, but thought I would get some personal recommendations as well.  I’m looking for something lacy (and meant for a lace or fingering weight yarn — nothing too bulky), traditional or in a traditional style, and engaging to knit.  I’m not sure I’m ready for super large, square shawls that require a lot of math and/or grafting — I just don’t have the brain-space this year.  That said, my friend definitely appreciates heirloom qualities and the beauty of tradition, and I’d like to make something that follows in this vein.

Have you knit a shawl that you love and would recommend?  Have you seen a shawl pattern lately that is too lovely to pass up?  I’m nixing the Swallowtail, Icarus, and Muir right off the bat, as I have already knit one and am in the process of knitting the other two.   Thanks, in advance, for your help.

Ask and you shall receive:

THANKSGIVING DAY MITTS

Materials:

less than a skein of worsted weight (I used a mystery wool similar to Cascade 220)

3.75 mm, US 5 dpns or needles required for preferred method of knitting in the round

Cable Needle (although I highly suggest cabling without one)

Tapestry Needle

Gauge:

Because these mitts are ribbed, gauge is not terribly important. Mine were knit at approximately 20 st/3 in. in *unstretched* rib. The row gauge, however, matters more. These were knit at 8 st/in.

Abbreviations:

k: Knit

p: Purl

BO: Bind off

CO: Cast on

C4F: Cable 4 front — slip two stitches onto cable needle; hold cable needle in front; knit next two stitches on needle; knit two stitches off cable needle.

C4B: Cable 4 back — slip two stitches onto cable needle; hold cable needle in back; knit next two stitches on needle; knit two stitches off cable needle.

Directions:

RIGHT MITT:

CO 40 sts

Rows 1-20: [k4, p1] to end (8 times) {total of 20 rows}

Row 21: [C4B, p1, k4, p1] to end (4 times)

Rows 22-25: [k4, p1] to end (8 times)

Row 26: [k4, p1, C4F, p1] to end (4 times)

Rows 27-30: [k4, p1] to end (8 times)

Repeat Rows 21-30 once more

Row 41: [C4B, p1, k4, p1] to end (4 times)

Rows 42-62: [k4, p1] to end (8 times) {total of 20 rows}

Row 63: [k4, p1] 2 times, k3, BO 6 sts, p1, [k4, p1] 4 times

Row 64: [k4, p1] 2 times, k3, CO 6 sts, p1, [k4, p1] 4 times

Row 65-74: [k4, p1] to end (8 times) {total of 10 rows}

Row 75: BO all sts

FOR LEFT MITT:

Repeat pattern as above. For mirrored cables (as shown above), change all C4B to C4F (and visa versa).

Block if desired.

Recently, D and I decided to merge our households– namely, I will be moving in to his (now almost totally renovated) house (Stella, I totally owe you pictures!). There are many things I do not like about moving, especially when I have to do it twice in one year. I don’t like packing. I don’t like hauling all of my stuff elsewhere. Although I think unpacking into the new house will be a lot of fun, esp. since D and I are moving in together, I really don’t like the unsettledness that comes with living out of boxes. This move, however, had a sweet surprise bonus.

Stash. Yep — the nicest thing about dating (and moving in with) a fellow knitter is having access to an augmented stash. In this case, I actually acquired stash. When we went to D’s family-home for Thanksgiving, his mom gave to him a bag of yarn that he left at the house years ago. I immediately claimed it (merger of households means merger of stashes, right?).

So it should come as no surprise that I immediately cast on for a new project. These are my Thanksgiving weekend knit:

Pattern: My own

Yarn: ?

Needles: US 5, 3.75 mm dpns

Thoughts: Well… I have no idea what the yarn is. It is definitely 100% wool. The bulk of the boy’s knitting is felted, so I had a pretty good feeling this would be wool. My suspicions were confirmed when I easily spit-felted the join between two balls of yarn (most of the yarn from the stash-merger looks like leftovers from other projects. Perfect for things like fairisle hats, fingerless gloves, mittens, etc). They are cozy, warm, quickly knit, and the favorite color of D’s brother’s girlfriend Jen, who has repeatedly hinted that she would looove a pair of fingerless mitts.

Jennie: 1, Christmas: Nothing.

When I’m in the middle of writing — I mean when I’m really into it — I usually need something to keep my hands busy while my brain works.  I’ve knit many things this way and in the process I’ve found that the best knitting for writing is something simple and circular, but not too simple.  No stockinette, or my brain goes into a zen state where I stop thinking all together.  No, what I need is something that changes, but only every row or two. No long purl rows (i.e. no lace), no complicated travelling stitches (although, in the end, the Drunken Bee turned out to be a pretty good pattern for writing).  I need something engaging, but not distracting (and a variegated, beautiful yarn usually helps).  Enter the Anastasia socks.

Pattern: Anastasia socks, by Minty

Yarn: Claudia’s Handpainted, in a colorway I can no longer remember (lovely, lovely greens!)

Needles: US 1 dpns

Modifications: Well, obviously I omitted one eyelet row (I’m not much for lacey socks. One set of holes was quite enough, thank you.)  I got worried that they were going to be too small, so I modified the stitch count a little.  Now they are a wee bit on the loose side, but still totally wearable and comfortable.  And I think they are beautiful!  When  first finished them and put them on, I realized how long it had been since I finished an adult-sized FO just for me.  I love them.  And I finished them just as I turned in the bulk of chapter 3 to my dissertation group (thank you in advance for the words of optomistic encouragement on the fact that I am already on chapter three; unfortunately, I don’t write in order.  This is only the first chapter completed.  And it’s not even completed yet).

Now waiting to cast on for last-part-of-chapter-3-and-all-of-chapter-1 socks!

In the meantime, look at what else I’ve started (sorry non-ravelry folk.  It’s the christmas season!)

1. I am not a quitter. But when it comes to daily/weekly/monthly/yearly commitments, and when it comes to personal challenges, I think I’ve done my fair share. And so, it is with heavy heart, but not a small amount of relief, that I admit defeat when it comes to 365. I am officially joining the 365 for commitment-phobes — NOT, mind you, because I am afraid of commitment. But rather, I find myself committed to more important things at the moment.

2. I like knitting for friends and family. That said, I still haven’t finished my promised Christmas knitting from last year. And so I happily acknowledge that this year, there will be no Christmas knitting. Well… there will be four things knit for christmas this year — two small things, and two larger things. But that’s it.

3. I am preoccupied. And since I finally acknowledged some looming deadlines, I am also anxious and stressed (nothing like recognizing that you have four months to do a lot of writing. A. LOT.). I’ve been hauling ass to finish this chapter from hell (as I know affectionately refer to it) before Thanksgiving break, and as a result I have officially entered the absent minded phrase. With that in mind, I admit that it is going to be a while before the lovely Twisted Flower has a mate. Because honestly, I just don’t have enough brainspace to keep track of it.

Whew. I feel better.

FO tomorrow when my camera batteries are charged.

Today was an extrordinarily beautiful day - the perfect day for a photo shoot.  D and I went to Batram’s Garden, a West Philadelphia institution that I have managed never to visit in the five years I have lived here, despite the fact that it is only a few blocks from my house.  Perfect spot for a photo shoot.

This whole endeavor was genius — a small little swap in which we all knit one sock for our partner, and then send them the pattern and the yarn for the second sock, along with some goodies.  I had a wonderful time knitting my Bombay Drunk Bee for my partner.  It was a terrific excuse to knit an insanely challenging pattern; afterall, you only have to knit one.  For some reason, throughout the whole process, I lost track of the fact that someone would be knitting a sock for me.  Which was why when this came in the mail:

I almost cried.  You see, with the exception of a truly lovely hat knit for me by my mommy, no one has ever knit me anything before.  Not to mention a knit from a total stranger.  And it’s beautiful.  See –

Look at that heel!

And the twisted cables?

This sock is everything lovely.  And if that weren’t enough, it even came with a matching (ha!) project bag.  I’m not going to lie — when these started sweeping the blog-o-sphere, I didn’t really get it.   But now that I have one, I realize that the plastic ziploc that had been housing my sock projects just doesn’t cut it.  I heart this bag with an unhealthy love and I’ve already totally moved in to it (now I need a few more…)  Thank you, Sandra!

Now I need to get the second one of these off my needles so that I can start the mate to this pretty pretty precious.