My Babette's blanket

My friend Barbabra and I had a crochet play date! Barbara teaches at The Point in NYC and all over the country. You can catch her at Stitches East this Fall! I love to knit. Crochet has been used by me to add edging to my knitting. I never really took to it as a full "thing", but when I saw the Babette's blanket I decided it was worth the effort. I got the magazine from Interweave and realized that the stitches look "familiar," but I needed a refresher! Barbara came to my rescue! The pix will tell it all! Here you can see we are looking for the "just right" crochet hook size. the small sq needs to be only 1&3/4" small!

My first small square!!! (2 rounds). So, ok, I need practice...
Barbara left me with very clear explanations and I am on my way. 50 2 round sq, 49 4round sq, 16 6round sq, 7 8round sq, 2 10round sq, 2 12 round sq- but who's counting... Barbara showed me a marvelous way to crochet in the ends when you change colors, which will be a great help!
We had a marvelous time! Barbara made a wonderful project bag for me to store my squares!

Sock Hop Yarn

I received the box about an hour ago- and I am just so happy. Admiring the colors and how soft the yarn is. I can't wait to cast on. I think just a simple sock at first, cause the colors are just stunning! But which color to pick first- I don't know!
The world as we know it is a mess, work is problematic, and I am so happy. Am I nuts or just the lucky owner of hand spun, hand dyed merino Sock Hop Yarn from Crown Mountain?
Have you ever seen a more beautiful sight? (barring your children and the Grand Canyon...)

Green and Pink in the Park

Fantastic weather calls for knitting in the park. Stealing moments from work to sit near Pond. Making progress on my Brooke’s Column of Leaves in sea wool color moss. The trouble with lace that it looks sort of crumpled until blocked, and one needs tremendous faith. This was taken this morning, and since the 2 hours of Lost, its somewhat longer. I will knit to the end of the skein. I made this a double column, so it does not knit up very fast. I wonder how much it will stretch. Anyone else knitting with sea wool at the moment?

Busy Saturday!

About the addi lace- I do have one already, some of you may recall my bird nest scarf, which I knit with the addi lace 47" us6. I have just been waiting (a long while!) for the size us1 and us2. the us1 (47") is to try and knit magic loop. I really love these needles and have been knitting this lace scarf with the 47" us6 even though its not the proper size...
I have picked the yarn (Austermann's Step in a lovely colorway) for my sockapalooza pal, still not sure about the pattern, but I am on the short list!
Got my pal for KTS, and I am having fun trying different teas for my swap pal. (Its ok. This is not a secret swap.)
And finished the Regia-Bamboo socks for my son (24/lost/CSI). Now I can knit more on my Brooke’s Column of Leaves lace. I am actually enjoying this lace project. I loved the bird nest scarf. I may become a lace knitter... When you "get" the pattern, and have nice needles- it flows!

Finally!

Yarn Market has them!

ECF- Summer Green

Can you feel the warm sun? Pond, Central Park, NYC.

Tagged

I have been tagged by magnusmog and knittingingrid for the 7 random facts, so here they are:
1. I lived in Japan for a year and a half.
2. I lived in London twice.
3. I love chocolate covered pretzels.
4. I love kayaking
5. My allergies got better when I moved to NYC.
6. I once fell off a horse. They put me right back on it and continued with riding for the day, but never again after that.
7. I now need to use reading glasses and I don't like it!

Green

Thanks for your kind words about my socks for Tomo. I loved making them, they fit and she likes them! I may use this pattern for a hat. could be cute, no?

That is what we'll see any minute now. I love early spring, full of promise and lovely flowers. But soon there after- the green takes over. Too green for me... I had a horrible week. Serious problems with one of my staff, not yet resolved. And 48 hours of no internet at home. (Verizon said: "some problem outside, our technicians are aware of the problem and are working on it") drove me to the curve... Literally... (resolved tonight at 6pm) So here is my token to the green. The lovely sea wool in moss is turning into a Brooke’s Column of Leaves Scarf. I am doing two columns, and I am using my Addi lace size US 6 cause I love them, but I think one needs a smaller size needles or heavier yarn. just can't get them anywhere in the US at the moment (those Addi lace).

So no internet- I decided to archive my swatches. When I have enough they'll become a blanket. each one is 7x7 (inches) for a total of 49 (7x7). I have collected them over the years. Some I made after the item was done.

Finished the Austermann's Step. Volcano made by my son for the classic baking soda/ vinegar trick. This yarn is very pleasant to knit with and soft to wear even before blocking. the specs in the yarn remind me of a climbing wall- I got to find one soon to test the socks.... And started the Regia Bamboo socks for my son ( but no finished pix. not much to show). I like the Regia bamboo yarn. Its very soft. Need some socks for TV knitting...

Tomo's socks

Sit n Knit NY, my knitting group, hosted a sock exchange we dubbed secret feet. I signed up and received my pal's info. Tomo (bloggless but I have seen her amazing work at meetups) said she liked sky blue, sage, warm yellow, soft yarn, not lacy socks and she kind of wished she had these. I was not sure about the Knitty pattern and I took one look at my sock yarn stash and knew I just simply had nothing there... I was in trouble... I received my copy of Favorite Socks and Ilga's socks by Nancy Bush called Tomo's name. Off I went to LYS looking for soft sock yarn in sage. But in yarn sage is very open ended! What color is sage to you? Koigu seemed the obvious choice but none of the LYS in NYC had the right shade and i did not want to buy on line since I knew I had to see it. At Purl Soho I found this from Nature's Palette, all natural dyed merino, and I had the other Koigu colors at home. I had option 1 and option 2 of color combinations. I went with option 1. To get the gauge I had to knit on size us 0. my first time on such small needles. Remind me not to use 0 again for fair isle. I decided to change the pattern a bit, without the braid at the top, less stitches for the foot and to knit Tomo's name into the sock. I did each fair isle section separately and after that together. I did not like the way the toes knit up according to the pattern, so I frogged it ( a day before the deadline!) and did a classic toe. The hardest thing was knitting for someone by measurements and not by trying it on my foot. I was in suspense until she had them on! They fit!!The sock exchange was awesome. We all ended up with very happy feet. I am waiting for my sock buddies to post group pix so I can post them, but I received the most luxurious pair of Rosa's Socks in the richest red koigu. I looooooooove them! They are awesome Annie!! Thanks.

ETA: Circle of socks. And go see all the gorgeous socks here!!!

Mystery item

ETA: click here to see the answer!

ECF- Inner Flower

Moving right along

The weekend was full of fiber. Sheep-sheering and spinning. I did my first Andean plying. Woohoo! I got a 2ply. Well- guess what- I need to learn to spin thinner, so I will not end up with rope. I also joined Sockapalooza 4 and I have my pal's info!! I am working hard on my knitting group's sock exchange, due May 5th. Sockapalooza 4 is not due till August. Phew! Sorry, can't chat now. Back to my socks!

And here is spring on Park Ave NYC:

ECF- Nature or Art?

See the tulip- see the Chihuly.

Yes, it is a Knitting blog!

I know some of you are wondering if all that spring has not gone to my head with all those flower shots. I did go a bit nuts with the flower power- but I just could not help it. It all adds up to or vision of life. I am also teaching my son to look. Look at this flower how many petals, colors, size, leaves or not etc. Its not so much about the flowers but about looking to see and not just gloss over. I love the saying: "what is this life if full of care we have no time to stand and stare."

The flowers were not meant to be a smoke screen covering no-knitting... There has been knitting!

Austreman step sock. Its my 24/lost/soprano project. When watching TV is more "demanding..."

Another secret project- just above here
and my pin stripe cardi- which I wish was done last week. these are the sleeves. back and the two fronts are finished. It will soon be done. I get that familiar feeling at my finger tips, when you are on a role and the project is soon done. And I may have to do a crochet project. Not that anyone is forcing me to do it, but THIS is just so amazing, and I have some stash for it! I think I have a crush on that blanket...

And thanks for your encouragements (from the pros no less!) about the spinning. I had not had much time, but this weekend there will be lots of spinning . Fleece Festival in Brooklyn on Saturday and Sit n' Spin...Yarn with my knitting group on Sunday!

need I say more?

Cherry Blossom Central Park, NYC.